dak95_00
Hall of Fame
I’ll freely admit I never looked at the directions but I started my crosses with a starting knot at 7.
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Prince ATS Textreme Tour Family
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
SlowTiger
Professional
That's odd. My old yonex had horrible paint issues. The paint on my Dunlop is holding up nice
JOSHL
Hall of Fame
A Big Thank you to Tennis Warehouse for giving me the opportunity to test this racquet! I applied for the 290 because I was looking for a 100in/more forgiving Blade because the actual Blade 100 has been out of stock for what seems like eternity.
Racquet Received:
Prince ATS Textreme 100 290g, Unstrung spec- 10.34oz/293g, 6pts HL, 294 SW measured on SW1. Strung spec Yonex Poly Tour pro 17g- 10.86oz/308g, 3pts HL, 318 SW.
String and tension used for test:
Yonex Poly Tour Pro 17g yellow, 50lbs electronic constant pull machine. Head Lynx Tour Orange 17g 48lbs.
Tennis experience/background:
Picked up a racquet for the first time my Freshman year high school in gym class and was hooked. Played doubles in High School then went to college and didn't really play much. Picked it back up in 2016 because I wanted to get healthy/lose weight and this forum definitely helped.
Describe your playing style (e.g. serve & volley):
I would say I am a baseline counterpuncher. I have a pretty decent serve both flat and slice. One handed backhand. I play a mix of singles and doubles. I play more doubles but I prefer singles for the exercise.
Current racquet/string setups:
I am a holic, like most on these boards. For this review I will compare to the V8 Blade 16x19 strung with Yonex Poly tour pro 17g.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?:
I played about 12 hours with this racquet. A mix of singles and doubles.
Comments on Racket Performance:
Groundstrokes: 8/10
The 290 is one of those sticks that you can just take to the court and start grooving right away. It swings very easy because of the low static weight and relatively low swing weight. Despite the fact that you can swing it very easy and fast I would say that it is on the lower powered end of the spectrum. You need to have solid strokes to get the most out of this frame, I would not necessarily recommend it for beginners. My favorite groundstroke with this frame is coming over with my top spin forehand on low/slice shots from the opponent. It's excellent at digging out those low shots. More maneuverable than my V8 Blade but not by much even though my Blade is 330SW. The 290 does lack that punch/plow that the Blade has, I think this can be easily fixed with some lead.
Serves: 7/10
Serving was decent with the 290. Spin serves were where this frame excelled in my opinion. The relatively open pattern enabled me to hit some really good slice and kick serves. The lighter weight also helped with the spin serves to really swing fast. Flat serves however lacked some pop and didn't seem as heavy as serves with my Blade.
Volleys: 8.5/10
This is where the 290 punches above its weight class in my opinion. This racquet is stable at net for how light it is. Also as previously mentioned it is very maneuverable at net. Touch volleys were a bit better than put away punch volleys but again I think that comes down to weight in the frame being lower.
Serve returns: 8/10
Return of serve is one of my stronger aspects of my game and I don't really have many complaints about the 290. It does take a faster swing with the 290 to get the desired depth of return compared to the Blade, but again the light weight makes this easy. The maneuverability really helps when returning serves into the body, which I appreciated.
Power/Control: 7(power) 8(control)/10
I'd say the 290 leans more toward the control side vs the power side of things. The lower RA may have something to do with this. The string pattern is fairly open but it is also very uniform in the spacing which I kinda like. If you are a player seeking a lower powered frame in a 100in headsize with light static weight i think it would be hard to beat this 290. Overall less power and control than the Blade.
Top spin/Slice: 8/10
Top spin and slice are great with the 290. As I mentioned above the string bed is very uniform so spin is very predictable. Some racquets have a tighter patter in the center opening up toward the edges so sometimes launch angle can be a bit different depending on where you hit it, not so with the 290. More spin in general than the V8 Blade.
Comfort: 7.5/10
This one is tricky. I don't have any issues with the comfort at all but it doesn't feel as plush as some other frames I've tried. Hard to talk about comfort without also including feel which is another category. I will say that the 290 may be a bit string sensitive. I felt it played much better with Lynx tour vs Poly tour pro, in general I prefer poly tour pro over lynx tour. It could be because the lynx added about 3pts of extra swing weight, who knows.
Feel: 7/10
Feel is where I thought this frame lacked for me. It just doesn't feel as solid as the V8 Blade or Ultra Tour I've been using of late. The frame feels a bit hollow to me but not harsh at all.
Maneuverability: 8.5/10
One of the strengths of the 290 for sure is the maneuverability. Easy to dig out low balls, easy to get into position at net. Easy to handle body serves when returning. All good stuff here.
Stability: 8.5/10
As mentioned in the Volleys section this frame is stable for the weight. I think the ATS system really works well here. Stability is more noticeable when at the net vs groundies.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Love the string spacing. Love the maneuverability. Love the orange grommets! I've been somewhat of a Prince fanboy ever since the very first O3 tours released (still the only frame in my collection I've never sold). Of all the recent Prince frames I've hit/owned (Twistpower 100, 97, Vortex 300, Diablo, Phantom 100G, 107G, 100x) this one is my favorite of them all. It's a low powered pleener that with some slight modifications can be a masterpiece. I will need to do some tinkering with lead to see if it can ultimately take over the V8 Blade but stock form the Blade wins......for now at least.
Thank you again TW and Prince!
Racquet Received:
Prince ATS Textreme 100 290g, Unstrung spec- 10.34oz/293g, 6pts HL, 294 SW measured on SW1. Strung spec Yonex Poly Tour pro 17g- 10.86oz/308g, 3pts HL, 318 SW.
String and tension used for test:
Yonex Poly Tour Pro 17g yellow, 50lbs electronic constant pull machine. Head Lynx Tour Orange 17g 48lbs.
Tennis experience/background:
Picked up a racquet for the first time my Freshman year high school in gym class and was hooked. Played doubles in High School then went to college and didn't really play much. Picked it back up in 2016 because I wanted to get healthy/lose weight and this forum definitely helped.
Describe your playing style (e.g. serve & volley):
I would say I am a baseline counterpuncher. I have a pretty decent serve both flat and slice. One handed backhand. I play a mix of singles and doubles. I play more doubles but I prefer singles for the exercise.
Current racquet/string setups:
I am a holic, like most on these boards. For this review I will compare to the V8 Blade 16x19 strung with Yonex Poly tour pro 17g.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?:
I played about 12 hours with this racquet. A mix of singles and doubles.
Comments on Racket Performance:
Groundstrokes: 8/10
The 290 is one of those sticks that you can just take to the court and start grooving right away. It swings very easy because of the low static weight and relatively low swing weight. Despite the fact that you can swing it very easy and fast I would say that it is on the lower powered end of the spectrum. You need to have solid strokes to get the most out of this frame, I would not necessarily recommend it for beginners. My favorite groundstroke with this frame is coming over with my top spin forehand on low/slice shots from the opponent. It's excellent at digging out those low shots. More maneuverable than my V8 Blade but not by much even though my Blade is 330SW. The 290 does lack that punch/plow that the Blade has, I think this can be easily fixed with some lead.
Serves: 7/10
Serving was decent with the 290. Spin serves were where this frame excelled in my opinion. The relatively open pattern enabled me to hit some really good slice and kick serves. The lighter weight also helped with the spin serves to really swing fast. Flat serves however lacked some pop and didn't seem as heavy as serves with my Blade.
Volleys: 8.5/10
This is where the 290 punches above its weight class in my opinion. This racquet is stable at net for how light it is. Also as previously mentioned it is very maneuverable at net. Touch volleys were a bit better than put away punch volleys but again I think that comes down to weight in the frame being lower.
Serve returns: 8/10
Return of serve is one of my stronger aspects of my game and I don't really have many complaints about the 290. It does take a faster swing with the 290 to get the desired depth of return compared to the Blade, but again the light weight makes this easy. The maneuverability really helps when returning serves into the body, which I appreciated.
Power/Control: 7(power) 8(control)/10
I'd say the 290 leans more toward the control side vs the power side of things. The lower RA may have something to do with this. The string pattern is fairly open but it is also very uniform in the spacing which I kinda like. If you are a player seeking a lower powered frame in a 100in headsize with light static weight i think it would be hard to beat this 290. Overall less power and control than the Blade.
Top spin/Slice: 8/10
Top spin and slice are great with the 290. As I mentioned above the string bed is very uniform so spin is very predictable. Some racquets have a tighter patter in the center opening up toward the edges so sometimes launch angle can be a bit different depending on where you hit it, not so with the 290. More spin in general than the V8 Blade.
Comfort: 7.5/10
This one is tricky. I don't have any issues with the comfort at all but it doesn't feel as plush as some other frames I've tried. Hard to talk about comfort without also including feel which is another category. I will say that the 290 may be a bit string sensitive. I felt it played much better with Lynx tour vs Poly tour pro, in general I prefer poly tour pro over lynx tour. It could be because the lynx added about 3pts of extra swing weight, who knows.
Feel: 7/10
Feel is where I thought this frame lacked for me. It just doesn't feel as solid as the V8 Blade or Ultra Tour I've been using of late. The frame feels a bit hollow to me but not harsh at all.
Maneuverability: 8.5/10
One of the strengths of the 290 for sure is the maneuverability. Easy to dig out low balls, easy to get into position at net. Easy to handle body serves when returning. All good stuff here.
Stability: 8.5/10
As mentioned in the Volleys section this frame is stable for the weight. I think the ATS system really works well here. Stability is more noticeable when at the net vs groundies.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Love the string spacing. Love the maneuverability. Love the orange grommets! I've been somewhat of a Prince fanboy ever since the very first O3 tours released (still the only frame in my collection I've never sold). Of all the recent Prince frames I've hit/owned (Twistpower 100, 97, Vortex 300, Diablo, Phantom 100G, 107G, 100x) this one is my favorite of them all. It's a low powered pleener that with some slight modifications can be a masterpiece. I will need to do some tinkering with lead to see if it can ultimately take over the V8 Blade but stock form the Blade wins......for now at least.
Thank you again TW and Prince!
c-had
Rookie
Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 Review
String and tension used for test: Solinco Confidential 17 at 50lbs, then Prince Vortex 16 at 50lbs
Tennis experience/background: 43 year old 4.5 male player who plays a lot of doubles/mixed and some singles. Former junior player.
Describe your playing style: All court player who likes to play aggressively and get to net.
Current racquet/string setups: Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 (2019) with Solinco Confidential 17 at 51lbs. I added a couple grams of lead at 12, plus a leather grip, raising the static weight to 12.0oz and the swing weight to 328.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 15 hours
Groundstrokes: This racquet is solid off the ground. Forehands came around well, and it was easy to hit flat or with spin. My two-handed backhand felt really nice with this racquet, and it hit slices well as well. I did not feel like the launch angle was super high like some other testers. In fact, I’d say it was a bit lower than my TT100 (which admittedly does have a fairly high launch angle). 4/5
Serves: This is one area I found this racquet to be a bit magical. I’m not entirely sure why, but my serve is just much more consistent with it than with my normal racquet. It was almost as if I had the time to feel when I was hitting a bit off and correct it mid swing (which sounds unreal, but the serves just kept going in). I had no trouble hitting flat, kick, or slice with it. That said, it doesn’t serve as big as my TT100. 5/5
Volleys: The first USTA match I played with this, I could not believe how many volleys I made. My hands at net are one of my main strengths, and with this racquet it was even more pronounced. Reflex volleys just kept working, over and over. I attribute this to the massive change in twistweight - my TT100 has a twistweight of 15.3 while this ATS98 has a twistweight of 13.6. It was just so much easier to get the racquet into position. And volleys were still super solid, despite the lower twistweight. 5/5
Serve returns: Returns were good. I expected the lower twistweight to mean I’d struggle with stability on heavier serves, but that was not the case. I did not get a chance to play any really big servers, though. 4/5
Power/Control: The ATS98 has a nice balance of power and control. It’s slightly lower powered than my TT100, but it’s not anemic. That said, I liked hitting with the Vortex more than Confidential because of this. I may try Confidential at a lower tension, or just stick with a livelier poly. 5/5
Top Spin/Slice: I expected to have more trouble generating spin given the 8 mains in the throat compared to 6 in my TT100, but I had no trouble. Plenty of top spin when I wanted it. Slice was also excellent. Maybe not as good as my old TT100P (2015), but close enough. 4/5
Comfort: This racquet is so comfortable! I’ve been having mild pain in my wrist after playing of late, so I’m looking for something gentler than my TT100. This did that perfectly, and my wrist feels great! 5/5
Feel: The feel of the ATS98 is very different from my 2019 TT100 or my old 2015 100P. I know this makes sense with the change in where the racquet flexes, but I was shocked at how pronounced it was. It feels like the ball stays on the string for much longer. Less boardy (not that the TT100 was overly boardy). It took me a few minutes to get used to it, but I really like it now. 5/5
Maneuverability: The ATS98 is really maneuverable - particularly at net. I assume the slightly smaller head size and significantly lower twistweight are the reasons for this. I can get the racquet into position with ease. I never found my old racquet to be sluggish until I started play testing this racquet. 5/5
Stability: Surprisingly, this racquet is also really stable. I usually assume you have to trade off stability to get maneuverability. When I saw the low twistweight, I was skeptical. Dropping 1.7 should be a very noticeable difference on off-center shots. But this racquet is super solid despite its maneuverability. I’d go so far as to say that it’s more stable than my TT100. It doesn't make sense to me that it is so stable given its numbers, but it is. 5/5
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Bottom line, I think this is my new racquet. I’m still going to experiment with other string/tension combos and may try a leather grip. I've got Signum Pro Yellow Jacket, Tourna Big Hitter Black 7, and Kirschbaum Xplosive Speed to try, any of which may work well. I may experiment with a bit of lead as well, though I’m worried I’ll mess up the excellent maneuverability. But I’ll likely be ordering 1 or 2 more of these. This racquet hits the sweet spot perfectly - a modern players frame that also has comfort and feel often reserved for more traditional designs. 10/10
Compared to:
TT100 310 (2019): Compared to my TT100 310 (2019), the ATS98 is more comfortable, more maneuverable, and has better control and feel. I keep balls in more, volley better, and serve better.
ATS100 300: I also demoed the new 2022 ATS100 310, but did not like it. Balls really seemed to fly on me with the 100, while the 98 felt like it kept everything in. I did not get to try a different string in the 100, so maybe a more controlled poly would have worked better (the 100 had TW's new prototype poly in it, which feels pretty lively to me).
String and tension used for test: Solinco Confidential 17 at 50lbs, then Prince Vortex 16 at 50lbs
Tennis experience/background: 43 year old 4.5 male player who plays a lot of doubles/mixed and some singles. Former junior player.
Describe your playing style: All court player who likes to play aggressively and get to net.
Current racquet/string setups: Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 (2019) with Solinco Confidential 17 at 51lbs. I added a couple grams of lead at 12, plus a leather grip, raising the static weight to 12.0oz and the swing weight to 328.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 15 hours
Groundstrokes: This racquet is solid off the ground. Forehands came around well, and it was easy to hit flat or with spin. My two-handed backhand felt really nice with this racquet, and it hit slices well as well. I did not feel like the launch angle was super high like some other testers. In fact, I’d say it was a bit lower than my TT100 (which admittedly does have a fairly high launch angle). 4/5
Serves: This is one area I found this racquet to be a bit magical. I’m not entirely sure why, but my serve is just much more consistent with it than with my normal racquet. It was almost as if I had the time to feel when I was hitting a bit off and correct it mid swing (which sounds unreal, but the serves just kept going in). I had no trouble hitting flat, kick, or slice with it. That said, it doesn’t serve as big as my TT100. 5/5
Volleys: The first USTA match I played with this, I could not believe how many volleys I made. My hands at net are one of my main strengths, and with this racquet it was even more pronounced. Reflex volleys just kept working, over and over. I attribute this to the massive change in twistweight - my TT100 has a twistweight of 15.3 while this ATS98 has a twistweight of 13.6. It was just so much easier to get the racquet into position. And volleys were still super solid, despite the lower twistweight. 5/5
Serve returns: Returns were good. I expected the lower twistweight to mean I’d struggle with stability on heavier serves, but that was not the case. I did not get a chance to play any really big servers, though. 4/5
Power/Control: The ATS98 has a nice balance of power and control. It’s slightly lower powered than my TT100, but it’s not anemic. That said, I liked hitting with the Vortex more than Confidential because of this. I may try Confidential at a lower tension, or just stick with a livelier poly. 5/5
Top Spin/Slice: I expected to have more trouble generating spin given the 8 mains in the throat compared to 6 in my TT100, but I had no trouble. Plenty of top spin when I wanted it. Slice was also excellent. Maybe not as good as my old TT100P (2015), but close enough. 4/5
Comfort: This racquet is so comfortable! I’ve been having mild pain in my wrist after playing of late, so I’m looking for something gentler than my TT100. This did that perfectly, and my wrist feels great! 5/5
Feel: The feel of the ATS98 is very different from my 2019 TT100 or my old 2015 100P. I know this makes sense with the change in where the racquet flexes, but I was shocked at how pronounced it was. It feels like the ball stays on the string for much longer. Less boardy (not that the TT100 was overly boardy). It took me a few minutes to get used to it, but I really like it now. 5/5
Maneuverability: The ATS98 is really maneuverable - particularly at net. I assume the slightly smaller head size and significantly lower twistweight are the reasons for this. I can get the racquet into position with ease. I never found my old racquet to be sluggish until I started play testing this racquet. 5/5
Stability: Surprisingly, this racquet is also really stable. I usually assume you have to trade off stability to get maneuverability. When I saw the low twistweight, I was skeptical. Dropping 1.7 should be a very noticeable difference on off-center shots. But this racquet is super solid despite its maneuverability. I’d go so far as to say that it’s more stable than my TT100. It doesn't make sense to me that it is so stable given its numbers, but it is. 5/5
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Bottom line, I think this is my new racquet. I’m still going to experiment with other string/tension combos and may try a leather grip. I've got Signum Pro Yellow Jacket, Tourna Big Hitter Black 7, and Kirschbaum Xplosive Speed to try, any of which may work well. I may experiment with a bit of lead as well, though I’m worried I’ll mess up the excellent maneuverability. But I’ll likely be ordering 1 or 2 more of these. This racquet hits the sweet spot perfectly - a modern players frame that also has comfort and feel often reserved for more traditional designs. 10/10
Compared to:
TT100 310 (2019): Compared to my TT100 310 (2019), the ATS98 is more comfortable, more maneuverable, and has better control and feel. I keep balls in more, volley better, and serve better.
ATS100 300: I also demoed the new 2022 ATS100 310, but did not like it. Balls really seemed to fly on me with the 100, while the 98 felt like it kept everything in. I did not get to try a different string in the 100, so maybe a more controlled poly would have worked better (the 100 had TW's new prototype poly in it, which feels pretty lively to me).
Crimsonchen
Rookie
Prince ATS Textreme Tour 95 Review
String and tension used for test: Solinco Hyper G Soft/Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut at 56/58
Tennis experience/background: 4.5 playing for about 15 years
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Aggressive baseliner, Semi Western forehand/Two handed backhand
Current racquet/string setups: Head Speed Pro Isospeed Cream/Wilson Sensation 57/59
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20+
-Groundstrokes 8/10: I thoroughly enjoyed this racquet with the initial hitting. With the 16/19 string pattern, I was getting a moderate launch angle (not too high or low) with each shot with very good spin which was assisted by the hyper g soft in the mains. With the low flex rating, this racquet felt great when hitting. No noticeable arm issues with groundstrokes and ever shot I hit felt smooth. Though the racquet is a 95 head, the head feels a lot bigger and I didn't have any issues jumping from my Speed Pro (100 sq in head) to the Prince 95.
-Serves 6/10: I didn't mind how this racquet handled serves. I didn't feel like I had a lot of pace on my serves with this racquet, but I did notice a huge boost in spin with each serve which helped a lot with getting second serves in easily. I enjoyed hitting kick serves as well (also partly due to using hyper g soft in the mains)
-Volleys 9/10: One of my favorite shots with this racquet was the volleys. The racquet is very maneuverable at net with it being 8 pts headlight. Each volley felt buttery smooth and I performed above my average while at the net with this racquet. Definitely enjoyed this racquet in doubles as I could easily drop volley or finish with a high volley.
-Serve returns 7/10: With the high maneuverability of this racquet, it was easy to move the racquet when reacting to a serve. I will say that I prefer head heavy racquets in terms of returning and ground strokes in general but the serve returns weren't awful for me using this racquet.
Power 5/Control 9- With the low swingweight of this racquet, it definitely leans more towards control over power. I had to generate my own power with shots. I prefer having the plow through with a high swingweight so I would definitely recommend adding some lead to the hoop in order to increase the swingweight of this racquet. As for control, I had very noticeable increases in spin with this racquet. The launch angle wasn't too high but not too low, so my shots were getting great depth with the spin dropping in each ball towards the baseline. I could easily attack corners with this racquet and it felt like I had precision with each shot I took
Top Spin 8/Slice 9- As said earlier about the groundstrokes with this racquet, it produces a lot of spin on topspin shots. Both my forehand and backhand had noticeable increases in top spin and great depth towards the baseline. One shot I really enjoyed with this racquet was the slice though. My slices were very consistent, nice and low over the net, and had a lot of side spin. Each slice felt great and I felt very confident with the placement of each shot.
Comfort 9/10- One big selling point for me was the comfort of this racquet. With a low flex rating, I had no arm issues throughout the playtest. Generally with other racquets/string setups, I will start to feel pain in the elbow or wrists, but I didn't have any trouble with this racquet. It plays very soft and I'd recommend those with arm issues to give this one a try.
Feel 9/10- The feel of this racquet felt a little muted. With it having a low flex rating, it played very soft and had a lot of touch towards the net.
Maneuverability 9/10- This was another strong point for me. This racquet is very maneuverable at 8 pts headlight. I prefer weight on the hoop, but I could generate a lot of spin with this one and the racquet plays very solid at net. It's very easy to change directions with it and it didn't feel like I was dragging around a hammer
Stability 7/10- The stability of this racquet was average. I think adding lead to the hoop will help with the stability but overall, I didn't have any issues with it. I think this racquet is well balanced and does everything pretty well.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This racquet definitely surprised me. I had never used a Prince racquet as I've been using Head/Wilson/Babolat/Yonex racquets throughout my life. This is actually a racquet I could see myself switching to because it does everything well. I won't switch from my Speed Pro because I've already gone through the time to test and make mods to that racquet. The 95 definitely needs lead tape in my opinion. The lack of a good swingweight had me swinging as hard as I could and that is the racquets only downside in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed the feel/spin/control of this racquet. With it being a tad bit cheaper than the top racquets out now, I'd say give it a chance if you're looking for a modern 95 racquet. Thanks again to Prince and Tennis Warehouse for allowing me to playtest this frame!
String and tension used for test: Solinco Hyper G Soft/Tecnifibre Synthetic Gut at 56/58
Tennis experience/background: 4.5 playing for about 15 years
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Aggressive baseliner, Semi Western forehand/Two handed backhand
Current racquet/string setups: Head Speed Pro Isospeed Cream/Wilson Sensation 57/59
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20+
-Groundstrokes 8/10: I thoroughly enjoyed this racquet with the initial hitting. With the 16/19 string pattern, I was getting a moderate launch angle (not too high or low) with each shot with very good spin which was assisted by the hyper g soft in the mains. With the low flex rating, this racquet felt great when hitting. No noticeable arm issues with groundstrokes and ever shot I hit felt smooth. Though the racquet is a 95 head, the head feels a lot bigger and I didn't have any issues jumping from my Speed Pro (100 sq in head) to the Prince 95.
-Serves 6/10: I didn't mind how this racquet handled serves. I didn't feel like I had a lot of pace on my serves with this racquet, but I did notice a huge boost in spin with each serve which helped a lot with getting second serves in easily. I enjoyed hitting kick serves as well (also partly due to using hyper g soft in the mains)
-Volleys 9/10: One of my favorite shots with this racquet was the volleys. The racquet is very maneuverable at net with it being 8 pts headlight. Each volley felt buttery smooth and I performed above my average while at the net with this racquet. Definitely enjoyed this racquet in doubles as I could easily drop volley or finish with a high volley.
-Serve returns 7/10: With the high maneuverability of this racquet, it was easy to move the racquet when reacting to a serve. I will say that I prefer head heavy racquets in terms of returning and ground strokes in general but the serve returns weren't awful for me using this racquet.
Power 5/Control 9- With the low swingweight of this racquet, it definitely leans more towards control over power. I had to generate my own power with shots. I prefer having the plow through with a high swingweight so I would definitely recommend adding some lead to the hoop in order to increase the swingweight of this racquet. As for control, I had very noticeable increases in spin with this racquet. The launch angle wasn't too high but not too low, so my shots were getting great depth with the spin dropping in each ball towards the baseline. I could easily attack corners with this racquet and it felt like I had precision with each shot I took
Top Spin 8/Slice 9- As said earlier about the groundstrokes with this racquet, it produces a lot of spin on topspin shots. Both my forehand and backhand had noticeable increases in top spin and great depth towards the baseline. One shot I really enjoyed with this racquet was the slice though. My slices were very consistent, nice and low over the net, and had a lot of side spin. Each slice felt great and I felt very confident with the placement of each shot.
Comfort 9/10- One big selling point for me was the comfort of this racquet. With a low flex rating, I had no arm issues throughout the playtest. Generally with other racquets/string setups, I will start to feel pain in the elbow or wrists, but I didn't have any trouble with this racquet. It plays very soft and I'd recommend those with arm issues to give this one a try.
Feel 9/10- The feel of this racquet felt a little muted. With it having a low flex rating, it played very soft and had a lot of touch towards the net.
Maneuverability 9/10- This was another strong point for me. This racquet is very maneuverable at 8 pts headlight. I prefer weight on the hoop, but I could generate a lot of spin with this one and the racquet plays very solid at net. It's very easy to change directions with it and it didn't feel like I was dragging around a hammer
Stability 7/10- The stability of this racquet was average. I think adding lead to the hoop will help with the stability but overall, I didn't have any issues with it. I think this racquet is well balanced and does everything pretty well.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This racquet definitely surprised me. I had never used a Prince racquet as I've been using Head/Wilson/Babolat/Yonex racquets throughout my life. This is actually a racquet I could see myself switching to because it does everything well. I won't switch from my Speed Pro because I've already gone through the time to test and make mods to that racquet. The 95 definitely needs lead tape in my opinion. The lack of a good swingweight had me swinging as hard as I could and that is the racquets only downside in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed the feel/spin/control of this racquet. With it being a tad bit cheaper than the top racquets out now, I'd say give it a chance if you're looking for a modern 95 racquet. Thanks again to Prince and Tennis Warehouse for allowing me to playtest this frame!
I'm not on the playtest but I've got demos of the 95 and 98 atm. A lot of people are going to love the 98, for me it's one of those racquets that is great everywhere, had nearly no transition time. Has a big sweet spot, possibly from the overly long oval head. Ive got nearly no history with the previous tours but prince has done a great job here
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Nice review. What do you have in mind for mods?
JOSHL
Hall of Fame
Thanks. Probably lead to get the SW up a bit(325) and counter in the handle for starters, to get it closer to my blade but still be less static weight.
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
String and tension used for test:
Started with Kirshbaum 18ga. Pro line II at 53/48. Restrung to Klip gut 16/Yonex PTP at 61/57
Tennis experience/background:
I am now 66. Started playing in the McEnroe era. I have been rated as high as 5.0 doubles, 4.5 singles. Now a 4.0 at best doubles player. 6'6" lefty, about 230 lbs. No h.s. or univ. experience. Have played many local tournaments.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I am a doubles guy, having left singles decades ago. I have a lot of spinny serves, can crack 100 mph on a good day on a flat serve (very unreliable) eastern forehand, one hand backhand, My backhand volley is a strength. Overheads are OK, not dominating despite my size. I get to the net whenever possible.
Current racquet/string setups:
For a few years now, I have been hybriding Kilp gut in the mains and Yonex PTP in the crosses, 63/48 in the summer heat, 61/46 in the winter. Recently have been using Isospeed cream in the crosses, works as well and about 1/3 the cost. I string for myself on an electronic stringer. For several years now, I have been firmly in the regular vcore 100 family (xi, si, sv, etc.).
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
20 or more. In order to get as accurate a comparison as possible, I would, in drills sessions, alternate about 20/30 minutes with each racket.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke
-Groundstrokes:
Forehand was a strength. I felt I could belt the ball a little harder than normal, but it would still stay in. Spin was there, about equal to my Yonex.
My topspin OHBH is perhaps the weakest area of this racket. Of course, it is also my first shot to buckle under pressure regardless of the racket. My Yonex give me a little more free power (possibly due to be a couple mm thicker in the hoop). If I was having a good day, the Prince gave me a little more directional and depth control. Bad day, uh-oh, not so good, time for more slices, chips and backhand lobs.
My slice backhand is a weapon. Here the Prince held its own with Yonex. Equal on both. I truly couldn’t tell the difference between the two. The relative thinness of the Prince made it a little more maneuverable in getting the stroke ready and through follow through. This Prince is in the top 1% for a backhand slice overall.
-Serves:
This racket really helped my serve. With both sets of string, both before and after adding a little lead at 3 and 9, I felt my flat serve was in play significantly more and with equal if not better pace. My spin serves were about the same. This is a very strong serving racket. I never felt “out of control, I wonder where it is gonna go” with this racket as I do sometimes with my Yonex.
-Volleys:
This is where I have come the closest to making the switch to the Prince. While the Yonex excels in the backhand volley, the Prince is its’ equal. With the forehand volley, the Prince is superb. Solid, good feel, plenty of pace, highly maneuverable. For the first time in years, I was actually hoping someone would hit a forehand volley at me. I could even drop volley on the forehand side due to the superior feel.
-Serve returns:
I don’t have a lot of data to go on here, as serve returns usually involve playing sets. Overall, I felt that the forehand return stayed in a little better with the Prince, due to being slightly more a “player’s frame”. Backhand return was fine, but I missed the little bit of extra free power I got from the Yonex.
Comments on racquet performance in each area
Power/Control- This racket is more about control than free power. The power is there, but you can’t just “granny stick - hold it in front of you and the ball will go over”. You have to set up, hit the ball with intent, but IT GOES WHERE YOU AIM IT.
Top Spin/Slice- This is not a free topspin machine like a Babolat Pure Aero or the like. You have to hit with your grip and be aware of your swing path if you want a lot of topspin. You can generate it, but YOU have to generate it. Slice seems to be easier. The thinner beam also reduces the chances of catching the edge of the frame on a shot (true for both forehand and backhand)
Comfort- Early on, before adding the lead, I felt a little shoulder pain after hitting. This was likely due to my bad technique - trying to “muscle” the ball with my arm/shoulder. Adding the bit of lead took complete care of this problem. Stock overgrip and handle felt distinct (could feel the bevels) but nice and cushioned.
Feel- I could tell when I hit a ball outside the sweet spot. The racket still helped me get the ball over the net, but I could tell it was not going to bail me completely out of a bad swing.
Maneuverability- Even with the lead tape added, this racket was easily able to handle whipping around from side to side on volleys. No problem with getting the racket head up and through on serves. Same with groundstokes, the takeback felt so effortless as to seem unconscious.
Stability- Simply, I felt the racket never twisted out of my hand on off center hits, etc.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
A big caveat here. I asked for the lighter 100 frame. When I first strung it up with poly, it became very obvious to me that I should’ve asked for the heavier frame. People I normally hit with were pushing me around. I felt I was having to muscle the ball much more than normal just to get it back past the service line. I added a little lead in the hoop at 3 and 9 and that did the trick. I was still swinging a little harder than normal, but the issue was solved 100%.
Another caveat: just before writing this review, I went ahead and restrung with my regular setup. It really helped. The feel came back 100% and I was able to tell more about the racket.
Overall, this is not a beginner’s racket. But it is not one of those thin “player’s frames” that you’d better be under 25 and in great shape to play with. Nonetheless, I was very impressed with the great increase of control overall, and losing little or no power with just the slightest of extra effort. I have been hitting the Yonex vcore 100 line for about 10 years now. This racket is making me rethink this. It pushes me a little more physically, but it generously rewards the extra effort.
To paraphrase a movie quote:
I see in your knee and elbow braces the same aches and pains that would take the heart of me.
There may come a day when the hearts of old doubles players fail, when we abandon our weapons for the Head Ti6, Yonex Astral, etc., and bunt the ball back and forth......
BUT IT NOT THIS DAY! THIS DAY WE FIGHT!!!
I BID YOU SERVE.....CHARGE THE NET....AND VOLLEY, MEN OF THE WEST !!!!
Started with Kirshbaum 18ga. Pro line II at 53/48. Restrung to Klip gut 16/Yonex PTP at 61/57
Tennis experience/background:
I am now 66. Started playing in the McEnroe era. I have been rated as high as 5.0 doubles, 4.5 singles. Now a 4.0 at best doubles player. 6'6" lefty, about 230 lbs. No h.s. or univ. experience. Have played many local tournaments.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I am a doubles guy, having left singles decades ago. I have a lot of spinny serves, can crack 100 mph on a good day on a flat serve (very unreliable) eastern forehand, one hand backhand, My backhand volley is a strength. Overheads are OK, not dominating despite my size. I get to the net whenever possible.
Current racquet/string setups:
For a few years now, I have been hybriding Kilp gut in the mains and Yonex PTP in the crosses, 63/48 in the summer heat, 61/46 in the winter. Recently have been using Isospeed cream in the crosses, works as well and about 1/3 the cost. I string for myself on an electronic stringer. For several years now, I have been firmly in the regular vcore 100 family (xi, si, sv, etc.).
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
20 or more. In order to get as accurate a comparison as possible, I would, in drills sessions, alternate about 20/30 minutes with each racket.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke
-Groundstrokes:
Forehand was a strength. I felt I could belt the ball a little harder than normal, but it would still stay in. Spin was there, about equal to my Yonex.
My topspin OHBH is perhaps the weakest area of this racket. Of course, it is also my first shot to buckle under pressure regardless of the racket. My Yonex give me a little more free power (possibly due to be a couple mm thicker in the hoop). If I was having a good day, the Prince gave me a little more directional and depth control. Bad day, uh-oh, not so good, time for more slices, chips and backhand lobs.
My slice backhand is a weapon. Here the Prince held its own with Yonex. Equal on both. I truly couldn’t tell the difference between the two. The relative thinness of the Prince made it a little more maneuverable in getting the stroke ready and through follow through. This Prince is in the top 1% for a backhand slice overall.
-Serves:
This racket really helped my serve. With both sets of string, both before and after adding a little lead at 3 and 9, I felt my flat serve was in play significantly more and with equal if not better pace. My spin serves were about the same. This is a very strong serving racket. I never felt “out of control, I wonder where it is gonna go” with this racket as I do sometimes with my Yonex.
-Volleys:
This is where I have come the closest to making the switch to the Prince. While the Yonex excels in the backhand volley, the Prince is its’ equal. With the forehand volley, the Prince is superb. Solid, good feel, plenty of pace, highly maneuverable. For the first time in years, I was actually hoping someone would hit a forehand volley at me. I could even drop volley on the forehand side due to the superior feel.
-Serve returns:
I don’t have a lot of data to go on here, as serve returns usually involve playing sets. Overall, I felt that the forehand return stayed in a little better with the Prince, due to being slightly more a “player’s frame”. Backhand return was fine, but I missed the little bit of extra free power I got from the Yonex.
Comments on racquet performance in each area
Power/Control- This racket is more about control than free power. The power is there, but you can’t just “granny stick - hold it in front of you and the ball will go over”. You have to set up, hit the ball with intent, but IT GOES WHERE YOU AIM IT.
Top Spin/Slice- This is not a free topspin machine like a Babolat Pure Aero or the like. You have to hit with your grip and be aware of your swing path if you want a lot of topspin. You can generate it, but YOU have to generate it. Slice seems to be easier. The thinner beam also reduces the chances of catching the edge of the frame on a shot (true for both forehand and backhand)
Comfort- Early on, before adding the lead, I felt a little shoulder pain after hitting. This was likely due to my bad technique - trying to “muscle” the ball with my arm/shoulder. Adding the bit of lead took complete care of this problem. Stock overgrip and handle felt distinct (could feel the bevels) but nice and cushioned.
Feel- I could tell when I hit a ball outside the sweet spot. The racket still helped me get the ball over the net, but I could tell it was not going to bail me completely out of a bad swing.
Maneuverability- Even with the lead tape added, this racket was easily able to handle whipping around from side to side on volleys. No problem with getting the racket head up and through on serves. Same with groundstokes, the takeback felt so effortless as to seem unconscious.
Stability- Simply, I felt the racket never twisted out of my hand on off center hits, etc.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
A big caveat here. I asked for the lighter 100 frame. When I first strung it up with poly, it became very obvious to me that I should’ve asked for the heavier frame. People I normally hit with were pushing me around. I felt I was having to muscle the ball much more than normal just to get it back past the service line. I added a little lead in the hoop at 3 and 9 and that did the trick. I was still swinging a little harder than normal, but the issue was solved 100%.
Another caveat: just before writing this review, I went ahead and restrung with my regular setup. It really helped. The feel came back 100% and I was able to tell more about the racket.
Overall, this is not a beginner’s racket. But it is not one of those thin “player’s frames” that you’d better be under 25 and in great shape to play with. Nonetheless, I was very impressed with the great increase of control overall, and losing little or no power with just the slightest of extra effort. I have been hitting the Yonex vcore 100 line for about 10 years now. This racket is making me rethink this. It pushes me a little more physically, but it generously rewards the extra effort.
To paraphrase a movie quote:
I see in your knee and elbow braces the same aches and pains that would take the heart of me.
There may come a day when the hearts of old doubles players fail, when we abandon our weapons for the Head Ti6, Yonex Astral, etc., and bunt the ball back and forth......
BUT IT NOT THIS DAY! THIS DAY WE FIGHT!!!
I BID YOU SERVE.....CHARGE THE NET....AND VOLLEY, MEN OF THE WEST !!!!
loosegroove
Hall of Fame
@stapletonj this is like when a kid submits a book report in reading class but never includes the title 
. You probably mentioned earlier in the thread which racket you received and you did manage to drop one big clue so one could deduce it's the Tour 100 290.
. You probably mentioned earlier in the thread which racket you received and you did manage to drop one big clue so one could deduce it's the Tour 100 290.
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
I felt like he was testing our reading skills. “I asked for the lighter 100 frame.”@stapletonj this is like when a kid submits a book report in reading class but never includes the title
sphinx780
Hall of Fame
Will also be very interested to hear your thoughts. Typing my review up tomorrow.
Shangri La
Hall of Fame
The 98 plays great, but has no feel. Not sure how Prince claims it has 'outstanding feel'. It doesnt give you that satisfying sasation that you get with racquets like Prestige when you make good contact with the ball .
loosegroove
Hall of Fame
Apparently my reading skills fall in the remedial range.
jmacdaununder2
Legend
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
Well, good lord, yes it was the 100/290...... I typed it in a WordPerfect 5.0 for DOS document and copy and pasted it (after I saved it to a floppy of course). That was the heading that I didn't notice wasn't copied.
And here I thought my LOTR reference would get all the comments!
And here I thought my LOTR reference would get all the comments!
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
dak95 - Please go to the Starliner Diner (formerly off Cemetery Road and now in Dublin) and have some breakfast and think of me...... Wow I miss that place.....
sphinx780
Hall of Fame
Prince ATS Tour Textreme 98 review.
String and tension used for test: Volkl VFeel 17g at 55lbs – A crisp multi with lower power in my opinion.
Tennis experience/background: Current 4.5 USTA 44 y/o. Played High School and a little DIII a long long time ago, in a land far away. Started out with Wilson Hammer 6.2 for my first big boy Racquet
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player trying to finish out at net. I rely on a big serve and a heavy mix of slice and flatter strokes. Not the heavy topspin of the modern game. Play mostly doubles.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Blade Pro – Summer is Vfeel full bed at 54g. Winter – Natural Gut mains, Vfeel crosses at 54lb. Prior racquet RFA v11 with NG at 54 main and Vfeel at 52 for the cross
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12-15
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: another reviewer used the term ‘thud’ This is definitely the feeling I get when connecting with the ball. It reminds me of the old Wilson Htour. It’s a unique feel for me but also gives me a controllable power. I was expecting a more powerful frame quite honestly. This gave me the sense that a lighter, but very stable racket could be dialed in to work well. I felt easy access to slice and more top spin (marginally) than I see with my current blade pro. One issue I came across was a random power boost now and again. Every so often a ball would uncharacteristically launch. It didn’t come across to me as predictable when this would happen but was less likely when swinging aggressively.
-Serves: I rely on a hard, flat serve with a little slice to vary tempo. I don’t hit a kick so can’t comment there. I was a little disappointed on serve. A little more weight would fix this, I believe. I found a lack of pure finishing power on serve. All this did was show me that I rely on the swing weight to create pace. I would have to go add weight or swing more aggressively to create the pace I naturally get from a smooth swing with my last two racquets. The Blade Pro and the RFA97.
-Volleys: I rarely find issue volleying with any racquet. I’m not claiming to be great, it’s just a consistent part to my game. Soft, drive, spin, reaction saves never left me wondering if the racquet was the issue. I fully felt my idiotic errors were on me. Highly capable net frame. A friend I hit with tried it for a set of doubles and is now considering picking one up. Volley’s are his strong suit and he didn’t lose a step.
-Serve returns: I was torn here. Not a racquet issue, moreso a what type of game do I want to use on returns issue. I felt that taking aggressive cuts would yield consistent and accurate results but when trying to mix things up with a touch lob or short slice led me to wanting a racquet that offers a bit more feel at slower swing speeds, this was the main area where that Thud on ground strokes would help give great feedback on faster swings but left a little to be desired in the slower swing speeds.
If I was 10 years younger, I’d be sold on using that Thud feel to hit out of my shoes on returns. But with my doubles time increasing and singles decreasing, I’m not sure that’s the direction I want to take.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- Power 6/10, Control 7.5/10
With the string and tension I chose, I would not call this a power Racquet, but it still has access to end a point with an aggressive swing. That’s going to be user generated vs racquet. I would rate it higher on control if it wasn’t for those random cannon launches off the ground.
Top Spin/Slice- I didn’t find anything lacking in either category. Slice is my bread and butter from both sides and this racket gave me everything I needed. I felt the access to topspin was accentuated compared to my current racket. I could get used to that extra grip.
Comfort- Plush, easy on the arm. Not too much to say here. I would say that if you have arm issues. Give this a go. I think form has more to do with solving most of that but I had no harsh feedback into my wrist or shoulder on any stroke.
Feel- 7.5/10. When swinging aggressively on any stroke and/or softer volleys, I knew what this racquet would do and what it wouldn’t . That feedback gave me all the feel I needed. My only issue was on the return when looking to incorporate a block backspin lob or short crosscourt slice. I couldn’t dial in the feel of those and they are both natural shots for me to employ. I think I could grow into them, but do I want to? That’s where I have to knock the feel down a notch.
Maneuverability-Stability- Putting these two together. I never came across a stability issue, which really, really, really surprised me going to a lighter racket. At this spec range, I would put it up with the best I’ve tried unmodified.
See volley’s for Maneuverability. I found no issue but that could be coming from rackets with much higher swing weights. So take my view on this particular category with a grain of salt.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I came away impressed. I’ll most likely be tinkering with this to see if I can take the ease of use and control of this racket and add the punch and slower swing speed feel that I was left wanting. I believe that was simply a weight issue. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending a demo of this for anyone looking for a great all around racket in an easy to use lighter package.
Thank you TW for the chance to add my two cents to this playtest. It was a pleasure!
String and tension used for test: Volkl VFeel 17g at 55lbs – A crisp multi with lower power in my opinion.
Tennis experience/background: Current 4.5 USTA 44 y/o. Played High School and a little DIII a long long time ago, in a land far away. Started out with Wilson Hammer 6.2 for my first big boy Racquet
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player trying to finish out at net. I rely on a big serve and a heavy mix of slice and flatter strokes. Not the heavy topspin of the modern game. Play mostly doubles.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Blade Pro – Summer is Vfeel full bed at 54g. Winter – Natural Gut mains, Vfeel crosses at 54lb. Prior racquet RFA v11 with NG at 54 main and Vfeel at 52 for the cross
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12-15
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: another reviewer used the term ‘thud’ This is definitely the feeling I get when connecting with the ball. It reminds me of the old Wilson Htour. It’s a unique feel for me but also gives me a controllable power. I was expecting a more powerful frame quite honestly. This gave me the sense that a lighter, but very stable racket could be dialed in to work well. I felt easy access to slice and more top spin (marginally) than I see with my current blade pro. One issue I came across was a random power boost now and again. Every so often a ball would uncharacteristically launch. It didn’t come across to me as predictable when this would happen but was less likely when swinging aggressively.
-Serves: I rely on a hard, flat serve with a little slice to vary tempo. I don’t hit a kick so can’t comment there. I was a little disappointed on serve. A little more weight would fix this, I believe. I found a lack of pure finishing power on serve. All this did was show me that I rely on the swing weight to create pace. I would have to go add weight or swing more aggressively to create the pace I naturally get from a smooth swing with my last two racquets. The Blade Pro and the RFA97.
-Volleys: I rarely find issue volleying with any racquet. I’m not claiming to be great, it’s just a consistent part to my game. Soft, drive, spin, reaction saves never left me wondering if the racquet was the issue. I fully felt my idiotic errors were on me. Highly capable net frame. A friend I hit with tried it for a set of doubles and is now considering picking one up. Volley’s are his strong suit and he didn’t lose a step.
-Serve returns: I was torn here. Not a racquet issue, moreso a what type of game do I want to use on returns issue. I felt that taking aggressive cuts would yield consistent and accurate results but when trying to mix things up with a touch lob or short slice led me to wanting a racquet that offers a bit more feel at slower swing speeds, this was the main area where that Thud on ground strokes would help give great feedback on faster swings but left a little to be desired in the slower swing speeds.
If I was 10 years younger, I’d be sold on using that Thud feel to hit out of my shoes on returns. But with my doubles time increasing and singles decreasing, I’m not sure that’s the direction I want to take.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- Power 6/10, Control 7.5/10
With the string and tension I chose, I would not call this a power Racquet, but it still has access to end a point with an aggressive swing. That’s going to be user generated vs racquet. I would rate it higher on control if it wasn’t for those random cannon launches off the ground.
Top Spin/Slice- I didn’t find anything lacking in either category. Slice is my bread and butter from both sides and this racket gave me everything I needed. I felt the access to topspin was accentuated compared to my current racket. I could get used to that extra grip.
Comfort- Plush, easy on the arm. Not too much to say here. I would say that if you have arm issues. Give this a go. I think form has more to do with solving most of that but I had no harsh feedback into my wrist or shoulder on any stroke.
Feel- 7.5/10. When swinging aggressively on any stroke and/or softer volleys, I knew what this racquet would do and what it wouldn’t . That feedback gave me all the feel I needed. My only issue was on the return when looking to incorporate a block backspin lob or short crosscourt slice. I couldn’t dial in the feel of those and they are both natural shots for me to employ. I think I could grow into them, but do I want to? That’s where I have to knock the feel down a notch.
Maneuverability-Stability- Putting these two together. I never came across a stability issue, which really, really, really surprised me going to a lighter racket. At this spec range, I would put it up with the best I’ve tried unmodified.
See volley’s for Maneuverability. I found no issue but that could be coming from rackets with much higher swing weights. So take my view on this particular category with a grain of salt.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I came away impressed. I’ll most likely be tinkering with this to see if I can take the ease of use and control of this racket and add the punch and slower swing speed feel that I was left wanting. I believe that was simply a weight issue. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending a demo of this for anyone looking for a great all around racket in an easy to use lighter package.
Thank you TW for the chance to add my two cents to this playtest. It was a pleasure!
TW Staff
Administrator
Thanks everyone who has posted their reviews already!
Friendly reminder: Your playtest reviews are due this Friday, July 15th by 5 pm PST. If you need additional time, please reach out to discussadmin@tennis-warehouse.com before the deadline.
Thanks,
Brittany, TW
Friendly reminder: Your playtest reviews are due this Friday, July 15th by 5 pm PST. If you need additional time, please reach out to discussadmin@tennis-warehouse.com before the deadline.
Thanks,
Brittany, TW
PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 Review
Thank you to TW and Prince for making this playtest available. I was very excited to play with a Prince again as they sustained me throughout my college playing period.
String and tension used for test: I used the Vortex provided for the playtest. I had my racquet strung by my usual stringer. He uses an electronic, constant pull machine. The racquet was strung at 51#, with 10% pre stretch. I ran out of time to restring with a favorite string for comparison, but will do so and add an addendum.
Tennis experience/background: I was a highly ranked junior player a million years ago, played for the college prep where I coach, and played junior college tennis. I took thirty years off and resumed playing tennis in 2017. I have had intermittent injuries early in my return but have been pretty good to go recently. I play socially and Interclub.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I am an all-counter who prefers to attack. I rely on a big serve, big forehand, varied pace and spin, and soft hands at the net. I like racquets that support my preferred play style. So, thick beamed, baseline crunching sticks don’t work for me. I play a lot of doubles with 4.0-5.0 guys and sometimes mixed. I feel like my play style is a throw-back in many ways.
Current racquet/string setups: Currently playing with Blade v7 18/20 strung at 47# with different polys. I have enjoyed Lux Element, Cyclone Tour, ALU Power, Hawk Touch and Square X. I also play with v13 Pro Staff strung at 47# with Diadem Solstice Power (Tiffany blue strings). All of the aforementioned setups work for my playing style and don’t bring on a tender elbow.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I played with the racquet for two weeks, right around 18-20 hours. The Vortex needs to be replaced.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum): The TT ATS 98 is a really good racquet. In fact, after playing some more with my preferrred strings, it may well supplant my Blades and Pro Staffs.
-Groundstrokes: The 98 is not as demanding as my Blades or Pro Staffs when it comes to groundies. It packs a punch. Not like a PD or Clash, but somewhere between the Pro Staff and a Clash. There is very good directional control and when you hit the sweet spot, people will stop and look at you because the sound is something else. I preferred hitting forehands and I found that I only lost control when it was user error…there is not too much power in the 98. I mostly hit a two-handed backhand, except for defensive and approach slices. I found the power to be just right on the backhand side. I could change direction, drive balls DTL or carve them cross court with very little problem. If you demo this racquet, and I believe you should, get on a ball machine and enjoy ripping groundies with your little 98.
-Serves: This is the area where the 98 stole my heart. The flat serves sounded like a gunshot. The speed, weight and accuracy were clear. Slices on the deuce side…deadly. And kick serves were dreamy. I really liked serving with the 98. It combined elements from the Blade (power) and Pro Staff (precision) that make serving fun. I’m mostly a spot and circumstance server in that I try to hit the serve I need in a given moment. I had far fewer double faults using the 98 than my other sticks. And it’s funny because when I was playing with a group and was going to put the 98 away and play a little with the Blade, my partner steadfastly objected. He said, “Are you crazy? It’s your serve. I don’t want to lose an easy game now!”
-Volleys: I had to get used to the different balance when volleying with the 98. I was used to HH Blades and Pro Staffs that I had modified to 3 pts. HL. I have to say, I was a little concerned that I would experience some flutter volleying. Nope! The 98 was rock solid at the net. As long as I was in a proper volleying position, we were good to go. This thing excelled with drop volleys. Deadly!! If I missed the sweet spot, it was anyone’s guess where the volley might go. The ATS works! I’m going to add some information on overheads. It won’t seem out of place after reading about its high marks for serving, but the 98 crushed overheads. They were a joy to hit. The best part was the directional control AND the power from the string bed.
-Serve returns: The agile 98 was very good racquet for ROS. It’s not my greatest strength as a player, but the thicker beam allowed for shorter swing returns that landed deep in the court. It was fantastic for the venerated chip and charge return plus one in doubles. I think that the 98’s exceptional maneuverability make it a returning machine.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
This was a high performance stick. I hope that players do not sleep on it because it doesn’t come from the big four racquet companies. I fully intend to direct some of my players toward the lighter 100 and the more accomplished ones to this 98. It is so good at everything and soooo comfortable without the mushy, noodle feeling of some comfortable sticks.
Power/Control-Big power from the 98. I found that overhitting was more of a function of my poor technique at times and not the fault of the racquet being too powerful. That said, it is not a meek stick. The sweet spot is large enough that the 98 is suitable for intermediate to advanced players. I don’t know what sort of voodoo was manufactured into this frame, but one might expect a loss of control. Lo and behold, the 98 had Pro Staff levels of control. My shots tended to go where I wanted, provided I did my part in the setup phase of the strokes. I wouldn’t say I was hitting dimes, but it was pretty close to the pinpoint accuracy of my Pro Staffs, but with better power!
Top Spin/Slice-The 98 is not a spin monster. It isn’t even a spin stick. If you are looking for that, look elsewhere. It has plenty of spin if your technique is developed. Compared to my Blades, the 98 has far more spin. Compared to the Pro Staffs, the 98’s spin is little more loopy. What I mean is the ball can come off a little high. That’s good if you are scrambling on defense, but not if you are looking to move forward in the court. The 98 is a slice-o-matic! Slices off either side from the baseline, slices on the midcourt pickup, slice volleys, and most of all, slice serves were ruinous.
Comfort-Comfort is the number 1 factor for me when considering a racquet. I have had TE and shoulder trouble in the past and I have to stay in the mid 60s when it comes to racquet stiffness. I have wanted to consider other racquets, but am always reminded that the Blades and Pro Staffs allow me to play everyday, with poly. The 98 was as comfortable as the Blades, maybe more so. The 98 was strung a little higher than my Blades, but I never had elbow tenderness. Even the short adjustment to the racquet, mishits and all, failed to produce a dodgy elbow. I would recommend players having a hard time with the balance of Blades give the 98 a go. I promise, you won’t regret it.
Feel-I felt like this was the area where the 98 and I need more time. There was ample feel. I could feather drop shots from inside the baseline, deaden volleys at the net and carve the service box up with little problem. It just wasn’t the same as my Blades…yet. I’m going to give the 98 more time and see how the feel opens up over time.
Maneuverability- I have alluded to the 98’s maneuverability earlier 8n this review. For me, this was the selling point. I have wanted something more maneuverable than my Blades. That is what led me to the Pro Staffs. The 98 is exceptionally maneuverable. I actually had to adjust to the improved maneuverability. The 98 is a mobile stick. If you are late or making contact behind you, it’s your fault. The stick is light as well as head light so it moves with you.
Stability-I was surprised by the 98’s stability. I think the ATS does it’s job admirably. I was expecting some issues as the twist weight is lower than my Blades, but no. Volleying hard struck groundies, returning monster serves and playing through huge ground strokes was no problem for the 98. She was a steady-Betty I in that way.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: I am highly impressed with the Tour 98. Prince has done an exceptional job delivering a racquet that fits into what is already a really crowded field of 98s. But, this stick will stand out from so many others because it is really good at everything. It has power, spin, control, stability, is maneuverable, and feel…all in the same stick. For me, it may be the next racquet I play with. I’m going to give it a couple of months and see what develops. All I can say is that I played some really good tennis with the 98. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a 98 that ticks all the boxes. For those who can’t get past the color scheme, something about judgement, a book and it’s cover come to mind. Besides, I like the funky design. I think many tennis players are tired of the black ,moor mostly black color schemes. The stick got a lot of attention too. I let a couple of people play with it and the only negatives were “it’s too light” and “there is not enough free power.” All in all, a stick I could easily play with in the months to come.
Thanks again TW for including me on this playtest. It helped reignite my interest in Prince. And the price point is perfect for the young men I coach looking to improve their tennis. Hopefully we can work together and get some kids with Prince in their hands!
Thank you to TW and Prince for making this playtest available. I was very excited to play with a Prince again as they sustained me throughout my college playing period.
String and tension used for test: I used the Vortex provided for the playtest. I had my racquet strung by my usual stringer. He uses an electronic, constant pull machine. The racquet was strung at 51#, with 10% pre stretch. I ran out of time to restring with a favorite string for comparison, but will do so and add an addendum.
Tennis experience/background: I was a highly ranked junior player a million years ago, played for the college prep where I coach, and played junior college tennis. I took thirty years off and resumed playing tennis in 2017. I have had intermittent injuries early in my return but have been pretty good to go recently. I play socially and Interclub.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I am an all-counter who prefers to attack. I rely on a big serve, big forehand, varied pace and spin, and soft hands at the net. I like racquets that support my preferred play style. So, thick beamed, baseline crunching sticks don’t work for me. I play a lot of doubles with 4.0-5.0 guys and sometimes mixed. I feel like my play style is a throw-back in many ways.
Current racquet/string setups: Currently playing with Blade v7 18/20 strung at 47# with different polys. I have enjoyed Lux Element, Cyclone Tour, ALU Power, Hawk Touch and Square X. I also play with v13 Pro Staff strung at 47# with Diadem Solstice Power (Tiffany blue strings). All of the aforementioned setups work for my playing style and don’t bring on a tender elbow.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I played with the racquet for two weeks, right around 18-20 hours. The Vortex needs to be replaced.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum): The TT ATS 98 is a really good racquet. In fact, after playing some more with my preferrred strings, it may well supplant my Blades and Pro Staffs.
-Groundstrokes: The 98 is not as demanding as my Blades or Pro Staffs when it comes to groundies. It packs a punch. Not like a PD or Clash, but somewhere between the Pro Staff and a Clash. There is very good directional control and when you hit the sweet spot, people will stop and look at you because the sound is something else. I preferred hitting forehands and I found that I only lost control when it was user error…there is not too much power in the 98. I mostly hit a two-handed backhand, except for defensive and approach slices. I found the power to be just right on the backhand side. I could change direction, drive balls DTL or carve them cross court with very little problem. If you demo this racquet, and I believe you should, get on a ball machine and enjoy ripping groundies with your little 98.
-Serves: This is the area where the 98 stole my heart. The flat serves sounded like a gunshot. The speed, weight and accuracy were clear. Slices on the deuce side…deadly. And kick serves were dreamy. I really liked serving with the 98. It combined elements from the Blade (power) and Pro Staff (precision) that make serving fun. I’m mostly a spot and circumstance server in that I try to hit the serve I need in a given moment. I had far fewer double faults using the 98 than my other sticks. And it’s funny because when I was playing with a group and was going to put the 98 away and play a little with the Blade, my partner steadfastly objected. He said, “Are you crazy? It’s your serve. I don’t want to lose an easy game now!”
-Volleys: I had to get used to the different balance when volleying with the 98. I was used to HH Blades and Pro Staffs that I had modified to 3 pts. HL. I have to say, I was a little concerned that I would experience some flutter volleying. Nope! The 98 was rock solid at the net. As long as I was in a proper volleying position, we were good to go. This thing excelled with drop volleys. Deadly!! If I missed the sweet spot, it was anyone’s guess where the volley might go. The ATS works! I’m going to add some information on overheads. It won’t seem out of place after reading about its high marks for serving, but the 98 crushed overheads. They were a joy to hit. The best part was the directional control AND the power from the string bed.
-Serve returns: The agile 98 was very good racquet for ROS. It’s not my greatest strength as a player, but the thicker beam allowed for shorter swing returns that landed deep in the court. It was fantastic for the venerated chip and charge return plus one in doubles. I think that the 98’s exceptional maneuverability make it a returning machine.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
This was a high performance stick. I hope that players do not sleep on it because it doesn’t come from the big four racquet companies. I fully intend to direct some of my players toward the lighter 100 and the more accomplished ones to this 98. It is so good at everything and soooo comfortable without the mushy, noodle feeling of some comfortable sticks.
Power/Control-Big power from the 98. I found that overhitting was more of a function of my poor technique at times and not the fault of the racquet being too powerful. That said, it is not a meek stick. The sweet spot is large enough that the 98 is suitable for intermediate to advanced players. I don’t know what sort of voodoo was manufactured into this frame, but one might expect a loss of control. Lo and behold, the 98 had Pro Staff levels of control. My shots tended to go where I wanted, provided I did my part in the setup phase of the strokes. I wouldn’t say I was hitting dimes, but it was pretty close to the pinpoint accuracy of my Pro Staffs, but with better power!
Top Spin/Slice-The 98 is not a spin monster. It isn’t even a spin stick. If you are looking for that, look elsewhere. It has plenty of spin if your technique is developed. Compared to my Blades, the 98 has far more spin. Compared to the Pro Staffs, the 98’s spin is little more loopy. What I mean is the ball can come off a little high. That’s good if you are scrambling on defense, but not if you are looking to move forward in the court. The 98 is a slice-o-matic! Slices off either side from the baseline, slices on the midcourt pickup, slice volleys, and most of all, slice serves were ruinous.
Comfort-Comfort is the number 1 factor for me when considering a racquet. I have had TE and shoulder trouble in the past and I have to stay in the mid 60s when it comes to racquet stiffness. I have wanted to consider other racquets, but am always reminded that the Blades and Pro Staffs allow me to play everyday, with poly. The 98 was as comfortable as the Blades, maybe more so. The 98 was strung a little higher than my Blades, but I never had elbow tenderness. Even the short adjustment to the racquet, mishits and all, failed to produce a dodgy elbow. I would recommend players having a hard time with the balance of Blades give the 98 a go. I promise, you won’t regret it.
Feel-I felt like this was the area where the 98 and I need more time. There was ample feel. I could feather drop shots from inside the baseline, deaden volleys at the net and carve the service box up with little problem. It just wasn’t the same as my Blades…yet. I’m going to give the 98 more time and see how the feel opens up over time.
Maneuverability- I have alluded to the 98’s maneuverability earlier 8n this review. For me, this was the selling point. I have wanted something more maneuverable than my Blades. That is what led me to the Pro Staffs. The 98 is exceptionally maneuverable. I actually had to adjust to the improved maneuverability. The 98 is a mobile stick. If you are late or making contact behind you, it’s your fault. The stick is light as well as head light so it moves with you.
Stability-I was surprised by the 98’s stability. I think the ATS does it’s job admirably. I was expecting some issues as the twist weight is lower than my Blades, but no. Volleying hard struck groundies, returning monster serves and playing through huge ground strokes was no problem for the 98. She was a steady-Betty I in that way.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: I am highly impressed with the Tour 98. Prince has done an exceptional job delivering a racquet that fits into what is already a really crowded field of 98s. But, this stick will stand out from so many others because it is really good at everything. It has power, spin, control, stability, is maneuverable, and feel…all in the same stick. For me, it may be the next racquet I play with. I’m going to give it a couple of months and see what develops. All I can say is that I played some really good tennis with the 98. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a 98 that ticks all the boxes. For those who can’t get past the color scheme, something about judgement, a book and it’s cover come to mind. Besides, I like the funky design. I think many tennis players are tired of the black ,moor mostly black color schemes. The stick got a lot of attention too. I let a couple of people play with it and the only negatives were “it’s too light” and “there is not enough free power.” All in all, a stick I could easily play with in the months to come.
Thanks again TW for including me on this playtest. It helped reignite my interest in Prince. And the price point is perfect for the young men I coach looking to improve their tennis. Hopefully we can work together and get some kids with Prince in their hands!
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I bot one a few weeks ago and have used it about 12 hrs, thoughts are similar to yours, for me it plays very well with a gut/poly at 51/49
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Great write up. Glad to hear Prince got a lot right with this one. Liked the Blade / PS comparisons... seems like you actually liked the Prince better. or at least in the conversation.
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PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
Thanks for catching that. Yeah, it was the 98. I have edited the original. Indeed, I really liked the 98! We will see how it is with my preferred polys. And to that end, Vortex was a surprise to me. It might be worth another look. It was no worse than the others in terms of tension maintenance. I only use poly for several sessions anyhow.
Mirdad
Semi-Pro
Prince ATS Tour 98 Review
String and tension used for test: Black Ytex Quadro Twist 44#. I chose such a low tension as I anticipated from other reviews that the racquet was on the lower side of the power spectrum. Unstrung specs: static weight 305. Strung specs: weight 331, with over grip and dampener.
Tennis experience/background: Former 5.0 player now an aging 4.5. Been playing for over 40 years. Played in some open level tournaments in the early 1980’s then had to get a real job and work full time….. The last five years I’ve dedicated a lot more time to tennis and have improved my game despite my aging body. Purchased my own stringing machine; highly recommend it if you have the coin and passion for the game.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player, two handed backhand, hit with lots of pace on both wings, like to mix up play with looping topspin and flat bombs when in the strike zone, semi western forehand. Main tactics are to move my opponent around with heavy deep balls and wait for an opening with outright winner or approach shot. Not timid to attacking the net but seldom serve and volley. Will occasionally throw in an unsuspecting drop shot and topspin lob.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Blade Pro 16x19, full bed of Ytex Quadro Twist, and sometimes Klip Legend natural gut in the mains and Grapplesnake Tour Sniper crosses. Blade Pro specs are: 348 static weight, 32.1 balance and approximately 346 swing weight.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? Six outings or about ten hours.
Groundstrokes:
-Forehand: I could aggressively hit out all day long without the feeling that the ball would sail long. It seemed like the 16x19 string pattern with 8 mains in the throat provided extra confidence in going big on flatter forehands. My Blade Pro also possesses a 16x19 string pattern with 8 mains in the throat however, the ATS 98 could not match the amount of topspin nor the heavy ball I was able to generate from my BP. I just felt like the ATS98 was on the clunky side of the beam spectrum and could be the reason why it did not provide the ease of racquet head speed as I’m used to. I usually put some lead tape on my racquets for stability however the ATS 98 was stable enough in stock form to not require any mods in that regard.
-Backhand: My two handed backhand yielded the most favorable stroke from the ATS98 in both consistency and confidence in hitting out. I rarely made any unforced errors. The slight clunkiness of the thicker beam didn’t seem to bother my backhand like it did my forehand. I liked the way the racquet sliced through the ball on my backhand slice keeping the ball low and deep in the court. The feel and stability were excellent on my slices when dealing with incoming pace.
-Serves: Serves were very consistent, rarely any double faults in match play. I was able to achieve excellent placement on both first and second serves. Power was available but less so than the racquet I’m used to playing with. Slices out wide were my best serves with this frame with decent spin and action on the ball.
-Volleys: The racquet displayed decent stability at the net and provided ample accuracy in placement of block volleys and touch shots. The extra wide beam was a plus in the stability department yet did not seem too clunky when volleying.
-Serve returns: The racquet was very stable and shined on blocking incoming bombs. However, I sometimes struggled with my timing swinging out on serves due to not being used to the thicker beam. Overall, stability was excellent and the lower powered response allowed me to swing out with confidence once I got my timing right.
Power/Control-Most racquets I play with possess more power, however, the ATS 98 can hit bombs when swinging all out and still yield excellent control. I just have to swing harder with this racquet and I attribute it to a slight lack of maneuverability due to the size of the beam. That being said, the ATS supplied excellent directional control. My hitting partner kept commenting on how consistent my shots were and asked me when I was going to make an error
Top Spin/Slice-I’d rate the topspin as decent but nothing outstanding. Slices were very good with deep penetration. It took me several outings to get used to the thicker beam but once I did I was more consistent in generating heavy top spin, just not as much as I'm used to though.
Comfort- Very comfortable racquet without feeling too flexy. I have a very sensitive shoulder and felt no discomfort whatsoever.
Feel- My personal preference is for more flexier racquets like the ATS98. However, it did not provide nearly the level of ball pocketing I’m used to despite using lower tension set up. The racquet possessed a solid feel to it which is a sign of a quality racquet.
Maneuverability- The ATS 98 did not cut through the air as efficiently as my BP despite the vast difference in swing weight. It was maneuverable at the net and at blocking heavy pace but just not as much as I'm used to when dealing with defensive shots.
Stability- was very good to excellent in stability, even in stock form. This is an area where the racquet shined. I got the feeling the racquet could not be pushed around by big bombs.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall, I think Prince has a winner here with the ATS 98. Unless you’re a player who likes to hit with a thinner beam and more powerful set up, the racquet is just fine as is right off the shelf. My only negative (and this is more on me than the racquet) is I like the feel of more ball pocketing and the sensation of hitting a heavier ball which my current racquet of choice does so well. I’m going to install natural gut in the mains with a smooth poly cross to open up the power level and provide more pocketing. I’m hopeful this will provide the missing link in this playtest that will make me keep the ATS 98 in my bag.
I’d like to thank TW and Prince for providing me with this opportunity to test their new ATS Tour 98. In the past, I’ve played many years with their Prince Ozone series racquets which provided immense ball pocketing……a past oldie but goodie
String and tension used for test: Black Ytex Quadro Twist 44#. I chose such a low tension as I anticipated from other reviews that the racquet was on the lower side of the power spectrum. Unstrung specs: static weight 305. Strung specs: weight 331, with over grip and dampener.
Tennis experience/background: Former 5.0 player now an aging 4.5. Been playing for over 40 years. Played in some open level tournaments in the early 1980’s then had to get a real job and work full time…..
The last five years I’ve dedicated a lot more time to tennis and have improved my game despite my aging body. Purchased my own stringing machine; highly recommend it if you have the coin and passion for the game.Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player, two handed backhand, hit with lots of pace on both wings, like to mix up play with looping topspin and flat bombs when in the strike zone, semi western forehand. Main tactics are to move my opponent around with heavy deep balls and wait for an opening with outright winner or approach shot. Not timid to attacking the net but seldom serve and volley. Will occasionally throw in an unsuspecting drop shot and topspin lob.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Blade Pro 16x19, full bed of Ytex Quadro Twist, and sometimes Klip Legend natural gut in the mains and Grapplesnake Tour Sniper crosses. Blade Pro specs are: 348 static weight, 32.1 balance and approximately 346 swing weight.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? Six outings or about ten hours.
Groundstrokes:
-Forehand: I could aggressively hit out all day long without the feeling that the ball would sail long. It seemed like the 16x19 string pattern with 8 mains in the throat provided extra confidence in going big on flatter forehands. My Blade Pro also possesses a 16x19 string pattern with 8 mains in the throat however, the ATS 98 could not match the amount of topspin nor the heavy ball I was able to generate from my BP. I just felt like the ATS98 was on the clunky side of the beam spectrum and could be the reason why it did not provide the ease of racquet head speed as I’m used to. I usually put some lead tape on my racquets for stability however the ATS 98 was stable enough in stock form to not require any mods in that regard.
-Backhand: My two handed backhand yielded the most favorable stroke from the ATS98 in both consistency and confidence in hitting out. I rarely made any unforced errors. The slight clunkiness of the thicker beam didn’t seem to bother my backhand like it did my forehand. I liked the way the racquet sliced through the ball on my backhand slice keeping the ball low and deep in the court. The feel and stability were excellent on my slices when dealing with incoming pace.
-Serves: Serves were very consistent, rarely any double faults in match play. I was able to achieve excellent placement on both first and second serves. Power was available but less so than the racquet I’m used to playing with. Slices out wide were my best serves with this frame with decent spin and action on the ball.
-Volleys: The racquet displayed decent stability at the net and provided ample accuracy in placement of block volleys and touch shots. The extra wide beam was a plus in the stability department yet did not seem too clunky when volleying.
-Serve returns: The racquet was very stable and shined on blocking incoming bombs. However, I sometimes struggled with my timing swinging out on serves due to not being used to the thicker beam. Overall, stability was excellent and the lower powered response allowed me to swing out with confidence once I got my timing right.
Power/Control-Most racquets I play with possess more power, however, the ATS 98 can hit bombs when swinging all out and still yield excellent control. I just have to swing harder with this racquet and I attribute it to a slight lack of maneuverability due to the size of the beam. That being said, the ATS supplied excellent directional control. My hitting partner kept commenting on how consistent my shots were and asked me when I was going to make an error
Top Spin/Slice-I’d rate the topspin as decent but nothing outstanding. Slices were very good with deep penetration. It took me several outings to get used to the thicker beam but once I did I was more consistent in generating heavy top spin, just not as much as I'm used to though.
Comfort- Very comfortable racquet without feeling too flexy. I have a very sensitive shoulder and felt no discomfort whatsoever.
Feel- My personal preference is for more flexier racquets like the ATS98. However, it did not provide nearly the level of ball pocketing I’m used to despite using lower tension set up. The racquet possessed a solid feel to it which is a sign of a quality racquet.
Maneuverability- The ATS 98 did not cut through the air as efficiently as my BP despite the vast difference in swing weight. It was maneuverable at the net and at blocking heavy pace but just not as much as I'm used to when dealing with defensive shots.
Stability- was very good to excellent in stability, even in stock form. This is an area where the racquet shined. I got the feeling the racquet could not be pushed around by big bombs.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall, I think Prince has a winner here with the ATS 98. Unless you’re a player who likes to hit with a thinner beam and more powerful set up, the racquet is just fine as is right off the shelf. My only negative (and this is more on me than the racquet) is I like the feel of more ball pocketing and the sensation of hitting a heavier ball which my current racquet of choice does so well. I’m going to install natural gut in the mains with a smooth poly cross to open up the power level and provide more pocketing. I’m hopeful this will provide the missing link in this playtest that will make me keep the ATS 98 in my bag.
I’d like to thank TW and Prince for providing me with this opportunity to test their new ATS Tour 98. In the past, I’ve played many years with their Prince Ozone series racquets which provided immense ball pocketing……a past oldie but goodie
StringStrungStrang
Professional
I liked the Prince Ozone series too! They were good racquets.Prince ATS Tour 98 Review
String and tension used for test: Black Ytex Quadro Twist 44#. I chose such a low tension as I anticipated from other reviews that the racquet was on the lower side of the power spectrum. Unstrung specs: static weight 305. Strung specs: weight 331, with over grip and dampener.
Tennis experience/background: Former 5.0 player now an aging 4.5. Been playing for over 40 years. Played in some open level tournaments in the early 1980’s then had to get a real job and work full time…..
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player, two handed backhand, hit with lots of pace on both wings, like to mix up play with looping topspin and flat bombs when in the strike zone, semi western forehand. Main tactics are to move my opponent around with heavy deep balls and wait for an opening with outright winner or approach shot. Not timid to attacking the net but seldom serve and volley. Will occasionally throw in an unsuspecting drop shot and topspin lob.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Blade Pro 16x19, full bed of Ytex Quadro Twist, and sometimes Klip Legend natural gut in the mains and Grapplesnake Tour Sniper crosses. Blade Pro specs are: 348 static weight, 32.1 balance and approximately 346 swing weight.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? Six outings or about ten hours.
Groundstrokes:
-Forehand: I could aggressively hit out all day long without the feeling that the ball would sail long. It seemed like the 16x19 string pattern with 8 mains in the throat provided extra confidence in going big on flatter forehands. My Blade Pro also possesses a 16x19 string pattern with 8 mains in the throat however, the ATS 98 could not match the amount of topspin nor the heavy ball I was able to generate from my BP. I just felt like the ATS98 was on the clunky side of the beam spectrum and could be the reason why it did not provide the ease of racquet head speed as I’m used to. I usually put some lead tape on my racquets for stability however the ATS 98 was stable enough in stock form to not require any mods in that regard.
-Backhand: My two handed backhand yielded the most favorable stroke from the ATS98 in both consistency and confidence in hitting out. I rarely made any unforced errors. The slight clunkiness of the thicker beam didn’t seem to bother my backhand like it did my forehand. I liked the way the racquet sliced through the ball on my backhand slice keeping the ball low and deep in the court. The feel and stability were excellent on my slices when dealing with incoming pace.
-Serves: Serves were very consistent, rarely any double faults in match play. I was able to achieve excellent placement on both first and second serves. Power was available but less so than the racquet I’m used to playing with. Slices out wide were my best serves with this frame with decent spin and action on the ball.
-Volleys: The racquet displayed decent stability at the net and provided ample accuracy in placement of block volleys and touch shots. The extra wide beam was a plus in the stability department yet did not seem too clunky when volleying.
-Serve returns: The racquet was very stable and shined on blocking incoming bombs. However, I sometimes struggled with my timing swinging out on serves due to not being used to the thicker beam. Overall, stability was excellent and the lower powered response allowed me to swing out with confidence once I got my timing right.
Power/Control-Most racquets I play with possess more power, however, the ATS 98 can hit bombs when swinging all out and still yield excellent control. I just have to swing harder with this racquet and I attribute it to a slight lack of maneuverability due to the size of the beam. That being said, the ATS supplied excellent directional control. My hitting partner kept commenting on how consistent my shots were and asked me when I was going to make an error
Top Spin/Slice-I’d rate the topspin as decent but nothing outstanding. Slices were very good with deep penetration. It took me several outings to get used to the thicker beam but once I did I was more consistent in generating heavy top spin, just not as much as I'm used to though.
Comfort- Very comfortable racquet without feeling too flexy. I have a very sensitive shoulder and felt no discomfort whatsoever.
Feel- My personal preference is for more flexier racquets like the ATS98. However, it did not provide nearly the level of ball pocketing I’m used to despite using lower tension set up. The racquet possessed a solid feel to it which is a sign of a quality racquet.
Maneuverability- The ATS 98 did not cut through the air as efficiently as my BP despite the vast difference in swing weight. It was maneuverable at the net and at blocking heavy pace but just not as much as I'm used to when dealing with defensive shots.
Stability- was very good to excellent in stability, even in stock form. This is an area where the racquet shined. I got the feeling the racquet could not be pushed around by big bombs.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall, I think Prince has a winner here with the ATS 98. Unless you’re a player who likes to hit with a thinner beam and more powerful set up, the racquet is just fine as is right off the shelf. My only negative (and this is more on me than the racquet) is I like the feel of more ball pocketing and the sensation of hitting a heavier ball which my current racquet of choice does so well. I’m going to install natural gut in the mains with a smooth poly cross to open up the power level and provide more pocketing. I’m hopeful this will provide the missing link in this playtest that will make me keep the ATS 98 in my bag.
I’d like to thank TW and Prince for providing me with this opportunity to test their new ATS Tour 98. In the past, I’ve played many years with their Prince Ozone series racquets which provided immense ball pocketing……a past oldie but goodie
DUROC
Professional
Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 (310)
String and tension used for test: Solinco Hyper G – 16L @ 50lbs
**** (I also played about 12 hours using a hybrid set up "VS Gut / TF Black Code" at 52lbs.........honestly found the results very close and it played excellent as well across the board)
Tennis experience/background: Current PTR / USPTA / ITF level coach and teaching pro. Played Div 1 college tennis and club tennis in Europe and some tour events back in the 1980’s. Started playing when about 6 years old. Mothers family owned a tennis court surface product company in Europe so I have been involved around the sport since a child.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Now playing much more doubles than singles, so Serve and Volley and aggressive net play dominate my time on court.
Current racquet/string setups: Tecnifibre TF 305 (16x19) with a hybrid set up of Gut crosses and poly mains at 53 lbs.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 50+ hours on court
Groundstrokes: 8/10
From the baseline, the ATS Tour 100 (310) is very stable and I found no issues redirecting shots no matter the pace. The open 16x18 pattern gave me great access to spin a nice comfortable feel and more than enough power to put away shots at will. I was able to get excellent length on my shots and overall the control was very good considering the amount of pace and spin I was able to generate. The one word that sticks in my head is STABILITY…..the ATS 100 (310) is extremely stable and comfortable. I had a fear that the 16x18 pattern would be just too unstable and powerful but honestly, I found the opposite, off the ground the ATS 100 (310) is a gem.
Serves: 8/10
I found the ATS 100 (310) very easy to serve with and it offered excellent power along with all the spin I wanted to pull down kick serves or provide wicked slice serves with ease. I am tall at 6’ 2” (188cm) and the serve is a very important and a key part of my game, I was able to generate easy power and lots of ball movement with great accuracy once I became used to the frame. I did have a slight adjustment period as it took me about 4 to 6 hours of playing and serving to find my range. Overall the ATS 100 (310) is easy to swing and offers great stability, power and spin. Overall I loved serving with this frame and even playing multiple back-to-back matches it never felt heavy in my hand.
Volleys: 8/10
Again the main word is stability, I found that my volleys were solid and I was able to really go after any ball aggressively and with confidence. I had no “break-in” period at the net at all. I found the open pattern gave me a great amount of pop but the stability and feel of the ATS 100 (310) allowed me to hit touch, drop and pick up half volleys with ease. I had a fear at first that the frame would be a bit slow at the net but once I started playing I was extremely pleased with how easy it is to swing and maneuver at the net. I had no issue with quick reflex volleys and the solid feel and control often provided me with easy winners. Also on overheads like with my serves the ATS 100 (310) is a powerhouse that allowed me to really hit out and add spin to overheads with ease.
Serve returns: 10/10
Once again the frames stability stands out and the control and feel is immediately noticed when returning serve. I was able to easily hit solid returns in confidence back into play on a regular basis as I felt in total control. It didn’t matter if I was simply trying to block back a big serve or go after a sitter I found I had a comfortable, powerful and solid tool in my hand. I felt totally confident and dialed in with just about all of my returns and found myself trying some shots I normally would not have tried just because I was so comfortable returning with it. Overall I found my returns were improved with the ATS 100 (310) and it was the most noticeable pleasant surprise of this review. I was able to return with both spin and power and allowed the frame to do the work.
Power/Control: 8/10
Overall I was very happy with the amount of controllable power, stability, and spin I found in the ATS 100 (310). It never felt heavy but the amount of power with control was quite a surprise in such a comfortable package. Yes, I did have a small adjustment period of a few hours to fully become confident but after that period I could generate more than enough power with all control I wanted.
Top Spin/Slice: 8/10
I was able to really hit out on my strokes and the amount of spin on both slices and topspin was excellent. I felt the ATS 100 (310) has a huge sweet-spot and the soft open pattern really allowed me to swing away with topspin and slice watching the ball drop on a dime. Slices stayed low and with bite and my topspin drives and putaways would drop like falling off a cliff. I was able to hit harder and deeper and my shots just dropped and stayed in the court.
Comfort: 9/10
Solid, Solid, Solid is the theme of the ATS 100 (310) and the comfort is just outstanding. No matter how hard I hit a shot all I felt was comfort with great feedback. Even on off-center hits the response was good and I never had that often jarring pain other fames provide into your hand. Overall again solid and comfortable.
Feel: 8/10
The softer layup and open string pattern for sure provided again a plush, solid and comfortable overall feel. The large sweet-spot did take a bit to adjust on drop shots and touch shots but the control and feel was all there. Excellent response and what I felt was great ball feedback was all there.
Maneuverability: 7/10
I really liked the overall balance and overall feel of the ATS 100 (310). When I first picked up the frame I did have a slight concern about how maneuverable the ATS 100 (310) would be. All those fears disappeared once I started playing with it, I found the ATS 100 (310) easy to swing and at the net and on serves very easy to move around on all my shots. I almost want to say it felt “whippy” but it also has a solid response that is just outstanding. Generating racquet head speed was easy and that allowed me to really add spin and bring the frame around with ease and comfort. Overall moving the ATS 100(310) into any position was easy and after those multiple matches never felt tired.
Stability: 9/10
As stated before solid, solid, solid…..The ATS 100(310) is an amazingly stable frame and I never felt pushed around and even when going after wide or almost out of reach shots I found those returns were still solid returns. As I found on service returns and on my volleys the stability of the frame provided more than i ever asked for.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: 8.5/10
I felt that this new version of the ATS 100(310) is an outstanding frame that offers excellent stability, comfort, and controlled power in a very fast-feeling frame that also offers tremendous spin. Solid is the one word that stands out about this frame but the open 16x18 pattern and the fact its also so maneuverable offers a tremendous package with honestly no negatives I could nail down. It offered excellent performance across the board on serves, groundies, volleys, overheads and especially on my returns of serve. For me its one of the top 5 frames I've ever played with period.
I will admit I am seriously considering making it my regular frame and looking forward to play with it even longer.
String and tension used for test: Solinco Hyper G – 16L @ 50lbs
**** (I also played about 12 hours using a hybrid set up "VS Gut / TF Black Code" at 52lbs.........honestly found the results very close and it played excellent as well across the board)
Tennis experience/background: Current PTR / USPTA / ITF level coach and teaching pro. Played Div 1 college tennis and club tennis in Europe and some tour events back in the 1980’s. Started playing when about 6 years old. Mothers family owned a tennis court surface product company in Europe so I have been involved around the sport since a child.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Now playing much more doubles than singles, so Serve and Volley and aggressive net play dominate my time on court.
Current racquet/string setups: Tecnifibre TF 305 (16x19) with a hybrid set up of Gut crosses and poly mains at 53 lbs.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 50+ hours on court
Groundstrokes: 8/10
From the baseline, the ATS Tour 100 (310) is very stable and I found no issues redirecting shots no matter the pace. The open 16x18 pattern gave me great access to spin a nice comfortable feel and more than enough power to put away shots at will. I was able to get excellent length on my shots and overall the control was very good considering the amount of pace and spin I was able to generate. The one word that sticks in my head is STABILITY…..the ATS 100 (310) is extremely stable and comfortable. I had a fear that the 16x18 pattern would be just too unstable and powerful but honestly, I found the opposite, off the ground the ATS 100 (310) is a gem.
Serves: 8/10
I found the ATS 100 (310) very easy to serve with and it offered excellent power along with all the spin I wanted to pull down kick serves or provide wicked slice serves with ease. I am tall at 6’ 2” (188cm) and the serve is a very important and a key part of my game, I was able to generate easy power and lots of ball movement with great accuracy once I became used to the frame. I did have a slight adjustment period as it took me about 4 to 6 hours of playing and serving to find my range. Overall the ATS 100 (310) is easy to swing and offers great stability, power and spin. Overall I loved serving with this frame and even playing multiple back-to-back matches it never felt heavy in my hand.
Volleys: 8/10
Again the main word is stability, I found that my volleys were solid and I was able to really go after any ball aggressively and with confidence. I had no “break-in” period at the net at all. I found the open pattern gave me a great amount of pop but the stability and feel of the ATS 100 (310) allowed me to hit touch, drop and pick up half volleys with ease. I had a fear at first that the frame would be a bit slow at the net but once I started playing I was extremely pleased with how easy it is to swing and maneuver at the net. I had no issue with quick reflex volleys and the solid feel and control often provided me with easy winners. Also on overheads like with my serves the ATS 100 (310) is a powerhouse that allowed me to really hit out and add spin to overheads with ease.
Serve returns: 10/10
Once again the frames stability stands out and the control and feel is immediately noticed when returning serve. I was able to easily hit solid returns in confidence back into play on a regular basis as I felt in total control. It didn’t matter if I was simply trying to block back a big serve or go after a sitter I found I had a comfortable, powerful and solid tool in my hand. I felt totally confident and dialed in with just about all of my returns and found myself trying some shots I normally would not have tried just because I was so comfortable returning with it. Overall I found my returns were improved with the ATS 100 (310) and it was the most noticeable pleasant surprise of this review. I was able to return with both spin and power and allowed the frame to do the work.
Power/Control: 8/10
Overall I was very happy with the amount of controllable power, stability, and spin I found in the ATS 100 (310). It never felt heavy but the amount of power with control was quite a surprise in such a comfortable package. Yes, I did have a small adjustment period of a few hours to fully become confident but after that period I could generate more than enough power with all control I wanted.
Top Spin/Slice: 8/10
I was able to really hit out on my strokes and the amount of spin on both slices and topspin was excellent. I felt the ATS 100 (310) has a huge sweet-spot and the soft open pattern really allowed me to swing away with topspin and slice watching the ball drop on a dime. Slices stayed low and with bite and my topspin drives and putaways would drop like falling off a cliff. I was able to hit harder and deeper and my shots just dropped and stayed in the court.
Comfort: 9/10
Solid, Solid, Solid is the theme of the ATS 100 (310) and the comfort is just outstanding. No matter how hard I hit a shot all I felt was comfort with great feedback. Even on off-center hits the response was good and I never had that often jarring pain other fames provide into your hand. Overall again solid and comfortable.
Feel: 8/10
The softer layup and open string pattern for sure provided again a plush, solid and comfortable overall feel. The large sweet-spot did take a bit to adjust on drop shots and touch shots but the control and feel was all there. Excellent response and what I felt was great ball feedback was all there.
Maneuverability: 7/10
I really liked the overall balance and overall feel of the ATS 100 (310). When I first picked up the frame I did have a slight concern about how maneuverable the ATS 100 (310) would be. All those fears disappeared once I started playing with it, I found the ATS 100 (310) easy to swing and at the net and on serves very easy to move around on all my shots. I almost want to say it felt “whippy” but it also has a solid response that is just outstanding. Generating racquet head speed was easy and that allowed me to really add spin and bring the frame around with ease and comfort. Overall moving the ATS 100(310) into any position was easy and after those multiple matches never felt tired.
Stability: 9/10
As stated before solid, solid, solid…..The ATS 100(310) is an amazingly stable frame and I never felt pushed around and even when going after wide or almost out of reach shots I found those returns were still solid returns. As I found on service returns and on my volleys the stability of the frame provided more than i ever asked for.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: 8.5/10
I felt that this new version of the ATS 100(310) is an outstanding frame that offers excellent stability, comfort, and controlled power in a very fast-feeling frame that also offers tremendous spin. Solid is the one word that stands out about this frame but the open 16x18 pattern and the fact its also so maneuverable offers a tremendous package with honestly no negatives I could nail down. It offered excellent performance across the board on serves, groundies, volleys, overheads and especially on my returns of serve. For me its one of the top 5 frames I've ever played with period.
I will admit I am seriously considering making it my regular frame and looking forward to play with it even longer.
@DUROC - Great write-up! Curious, did you ever try the outgoing black and green 2019 TT100 (310)? I'm currently playing with it and am looking for opinions on whether the 2022 is a better overall racquet or not. Regardless, Prince seems to be moving in quite a positive direction these last few years -- great to see!
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Prince ATS Tour 95
String and tension used for test: Luxilon 4g 16g at 48 lbs, Prince Vortex 16g at 48 lbs
Tennis experience/background: I am in the mid 20s. Played high school and college tennis. Had a pretty bad back injury in college which stopped me from competing. Highest rating was around 10.5 UTR.
Describe your playing style: Eastern forehand grip and two handed backhand. All court singles player.
Current racquet/string setups: Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro with leather grip and lead tape inside the bumper guard / Luxilon 4g 16g at 48 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 30+
-Groundstrokes: Before hitting I was expecting to launch the ball high due to open string pattern, but surprisingly it has a bit low launch angle for 16 x 19. Right off the bat I found great balance of maneuverability and stability on full swings. Even on the off center hits, the mass of the racquet drove through the ball with decent power and spin. Compared to my regular setup, this ATS Tour 95 has better plow through and pop on groundstrokes.
-Serves: Initially for serving, the balls went few inches longer than anticipated, but it didn't take awhile to get the timing right. The precision with serving shined the most with this racquet. I didn't quite get the power I was looking for with flat serves, but slice and kick serves opened the courts well for me. Since the racquet is so stable and head-light, it was easy to serve and volley.
-Volleys: Very satisfying response with a solid punch deep to the baseline and a nice angled touch with a drop shot. The racquet head is easy to maneuver for a quick reflex volleys. The only problem I had was when I do half volleys while receiving low passing shots. They tend to fly a bit higher than I anticipated.
-Serve returns: It started with a lot of off center hits, but I was surprised how it didn't have harsh vibration my arm. After I found the timing of my return with this racquet, I was able to consistently make solid contact and place the ball where I predicted. Half volley returns against strong flat servers worked very well thanks to large sweetspot.
Power/Control- Great blend of power and control from the small head size with thicker beam width and open string pattern. This racquet provides controllable power where I can predict the trajectory of the ball and confidently swing aggressive groundstrokes.
Top Spin/Slice- Easy access of spin. It generates not too much but just the right amount of top spin to stay connected with fast paced rally. Hitting down the line side spin slice had a lot of movement. My slice with this racquet performed better than my regular setup.
Comfort- It is an extremely comfortable frame. I had no issues on my arm during the playtesting.
Feel- It's got a plush and slightly muted response. Perfect combination of firm and soft feeling.
Maneuverability- This head light racquet is very easy to maneuver without sacrificing power and control. It gives me a lot of options with my forehand.
Stability- High stability racquet. It is a very solid racquet and I can stay connected to the ball even off center hits. It has enough swing weight to plow through the ball with ease.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: I really enjoyed hitting with this 95 even though I'm more used to the 100 head size. The racquet has a perfect blend of control and power and it feels super solid. The plow through you get from this frame is so addicting. I only wish it came with a leather grip.
Thank you TW and Prince for providing us this opportunity to playtest ATS Tour series!
String and tension used for test: Luxilon 4g 16g at 48 lbs, Prince Vortex 16g at 48 lbs
Tennis experience/background: I am in the mid 20s. Played high school and college tennis. Had a pretty bad back injury in college which stopped me from competing. Highest rating was around 10.5 UTR.
Describe your playing style: Eastern forehand grip and two handed backhand. All court singles player.
Current racquet/string setups: Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro with leather grip and lead tape inside the bumper guard / Luxilon 4g 16g at 48 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 30+
-Groundstrokes: Before hitting I was expecting to launch the ball high due to open string pattern, but surprisingly it has a bit low launch angle for 16 x 19. Right off the bat I found great balance of maneuverability and stability on full swings. Even on the off center hits, the mass of the racquet drove through the ball with decent power and spin. Compared to my regular setup, this ATS Tour 95 has better plow through and pop on groundstrokes.
-Serves: Initially for serving, the balls went few inches longer than anticipated, but it didn't take awhile to get the timing right. The precision with serving shined the most with this racquet. I didn't quite get the power I was looking for with flat serves, but slice and kick serves opened the courts well for me. Since the racquet is so stable and head-light, it was easy to serve and volley.
-Volleys: Very satisfying response with a solid punch deep to the baseline and a nice angled touch with a drop shot. The racquet head is easy to maneuver for a quick reflex volleys. The only problem I had was when I do half volleys while receiving low passing shots. They tend to fly a bit higher than I anticipated.
-Serve returns: It started with a lot of off center hits, but I was surprised how it didn't have harsh vibration my arm. After I found the timing of my return with this racquet, I was able to consistently make solid contact and place the ball where I predicted. Half volley returns against strong flat servers worked very well thanks to large sweetspot.
Power/Control- Great blend of power and control from the small head size with thicker beam width and open string pattern. This racquet provides controllable power where I can predict the trajectory of the ball and confidently swing aggressive groundstrokes.
Top Spin/Slice- Easy access of spin. It generates not too much but just the right amount of top spin to stay connected with fast paced rally. Hitting down the line side spin slice had a lot of movement. My slice with this racquet performed better than my regular setup.
Comfort- It is an extremely comfortable frame. I had no issues on my arm during the playtesting.
Feel- It's got a plush and slightly muted response. Perfect combination of firm and soft feeling.
Maneuverability- This head light racquet is very easy to maneuver without sacrificing power and control. It gives me a lot of options with my forehand.
Stability- High stability racquet. It is a very solid racquet and I can stay connected to the ball even off center hits. It has enough swing weight to plow through the ball with ease.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: I really enjoyed hitting with this 95 even though I'm more used to the 100 head size. The racquet has a perfect blend of control and power and it feels super solid. The plow through you get from this frame is so addicting. I only wish it came with a leather grip.
Thank you TW and Prince for providing us this opportunity to playtest ATS Tour series!
curtstead
Professional
Aragorn speech was A+, need someone to photoshop him just post speech holding up a new Prince ATS Tour facing the Black Gate.
basil J
Hall of Fame
Prince ATS Tour 98 Review
String and tension used for test: technifibre nrg 16G at 55#
Tennis experience/background: 61 year 4.0 player.Played college hockey and took up Tennis in my 30's and quickly fell in love with the game. Been playing competitive singles for over 20 years and hope to continue to do so for at least another 5
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player, One handed backhand, eastern/ moving to semi western forehand. I play attacking all court tennis trying to get to the net as often as possible and close out the point. I serve & volley about 40% of the time and can hang at the baseline If I need to but prefer shorter athletic points vs endless grinding. My back hand is my better wing probably from my hockey background.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Blade V6 16x19 weighed up to 12.1 oz, full bed of 16 G NRG at 55#. Becker Melbourne in stock form 12.4 oz full bed of VS 17G gut at 58#. My beckers are and have been my main sticks for over 10 years now and will eventually need to be replaced but I have still not found a suitable frame that plays as well overall as they do.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 5 outings or about ten hours.
Groundstrokes:
-Forehand: Initially the frame felt pretty good on my forehand side, but as I played against better players, I found that it was lacking power. I added weight at 3:00 & 9:00 and it helped a bit, but I still felt that it lacked good put away power and I found myself on the defense more than on the offense while playing singles. I probably should lower the tension a bit next time I string. Control was good, but it lacks the pinpoint accuracy I get from my Beckers.
-Backhand: My one-handed backhand is my favorite shot and I depend on it's consistency and the control I get with my current sticks in matches. I can loop or drive shots with my current sticks with ease. I felt the tour was good when I was really going after my BH, but on reflex half volleys or flick shots I felt that that the tip was unstable and fluttered a bit. The thick beam width and lighter weight never gave me the sensation of pulling through the shot, but rather I felt that I was only comfortable when driving the shot with pace. Spin was okay but nothing remarkable.
-Serves: Serves were very consistent and even though I was not serving bombs, I got very good placement and was able to serve my way-out trouble in games over and over again with good confidence. I got decent slice and enough kick to be confident every time it was time to serve. A thick beam always bugs me off the ground, but while serving, it was not an issue.
-Volleys: This is where I liked this frame the best. It was not as clunky for me at the net as it was with groundstroke and punch and drop volleys were executed comfortably and with good accuracy. The even balance took me a little time to get used to but once acclimated I loved it up at the net with this frame. Over heads were much like serving, accurate and effective.
-Serve returns: This is where I really struggled with this frame. I like returning as much if not more than serving, and against a big server I was leaving way too many balls short with this frame. Even though it is thicker beamed than what I usually use, I never felt confident going after 2nd serves and chipping and charging. This is where I really felt the low power on this frame, again It may be a string issue more than the stick, but I use NRG all the time at these tensions, so this frame may be more string sensitive than I realized.
Power/Control-I felt control with frame was excellent, yet the power level dropped quite a bit if I did not hit the sweet spot cleanly and left a few balls as sitters that I would not normally leave in match play. I felt that the frame also requires a pretty good cut at the ball to get good depth and action which may be an issue if I am fatigued and deep in a weekend tourney. lower tension may help a lot with this issue, and I am stringing it up with full vs gut today at 53# to see if it helps.
Top Spin/Slice-Topspin was decent but nothing outstanding. Slices were very good, and I got some good skidding approach shots many times in match play. I am having trouble getting used to the thicker beam, but the more balls I hit the more comfortable I am getting. I have deliberately not used my other frames during the last 2 weeks of this test so I would be less biased.
Comfort- This is comfortable racquet without feeling too flexy. I have had no shoulder or arm issues at all.
Feel- I have always leaned towards thin beamed, solid flexy frames in the past (200GMW, Yonex 002 tour, TI 80 and volk, Becker frames), so there is a particular feel I look for in my frames. Solid, comfortable with good ball pocketing. I felt this frame was over muted and played stiffer at times than its flex rating and was a bit unstable high in the string bed for me with my current set up on it. lower tension/ different string may help a lot, or not I will see, but as is feel is mediocre for me.
Maneuverability- The tour is pretty maneuverable and had no issues even though it is a thicker beamed than I usually use.
Stability- Stability is good but not great. I felt that I got pushed around a bit against big hitters resulting in playing more defensively than offensively.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This frame is a decent frame and I could see a lot of people enjoying it, myself included If I can get It set up right. it is comfortable and plays much like most modern frames with the added benefit of a lower flex rating. I am going to try a few string set ups
before I bail on it for sure.
String and tension used for test: technifibre nrg 16G at 55#
Tennis experience/background: 61 year 4.0 player.Played college hockey and took up Tennis in my 30's and quickly fell in love with the game. Been playing competitive singles for over 20 years and hope to continue to do so for at least another 5
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player, One handed backhand, eastern/ moving to semi western forehand. I play attacking all court tennis trying to get to the net as often as possible and close out the point. I serve & volley about 40% of the time and can hang at the baseline If I need to but prefer shorter athletic points vs endless grinding. My back hand is my better wing probably from my hockey background.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Blade V6 16x19 weighed up to 12.1 oz, full bed of 16 G NRG at 55#. Becker Melbourne in stock form 12.4 oz full bed of VS 17G gut at 58#. My beckers are and have been my main sticks for over 10 years now and will eventually need to be replaced but I have still not found a suitable frame that plays as well overall as they do.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 5 outings or about ten hours.
Groundstrokes:
-Forehand: Initially the frame felt pretty good on my forehand side, but as I played against better players, I found that it was lacking power. I added weight at 3:00 & 9:00 and it helped a bit, but I still felt that it lacked good put away power and I found myself on the defense more than on the offense while playing singles. I probably should lower the tension a bit next time I string. Control was good, but it lacks the pinpoint accuracy I get from my Beckers.
-Backhand: My one-handed backhand is my favorite shot and I depend on it's consistency and the control I get with my current sticks in matches. I can loop or drive shots with my current sticks with ease. I felt the tour was good when I was really going after my BH, but on reflex half volleys or flick shots I felt that that the tip was unstable and fluttered a bit. The thick beam width and lighter weight never gave me the sensation of pulling through the shot, but rather I felt that I was only comfortable when driving the shot with pace. Spin was okay but nothing remarkable.
-Serves: Serves were very consistent and even though I was not serving bombs, I got very good placement and was able to serve my way-out trouble in games over and over again with good confidence. I got decent slice and enough kick to be confident every time it was time to serve. A thick beam always bugs me off the ground, but while serving, it was not an issue.
-Volleys: This is where I liked this frame the best. It was not as clunky for me at the net as it was with groundstroke and punch and drop volleys were executed comfortably and with good accuracy. The even balance took me a little time to get used to but once acclimated I loved it up at the net with this frame. Over heads were much like serving, accurate and effective.
-Serve returns: This is where I really struggled with this frame. I like returning as much if not more than serving, and against a big server I was leaving way too many balls short with this frame. Even though it is thicker beamed than what I usually use, I never felt confident going after 2nd serves and chipping and charging. This is where I really felt the low power on this frame, again It may be a string issue more than the stick, but I use NRG all the time at these tensions, so this frame may be more string sensitive than I realized.
Power/Control-I felt control with frame was excellent, yet the power level dropped quite a bit if I did not hit the sweet spot cleanly and left a few balls as sitters that I would not normally leave in match play. I felt that the frame also requires a pretty good cut at the ball to get good depth and action which may be an issue if I am fatigued and deep in a weekend tourney. lower tension may help a lot with this issue, and I am stringing it up with full vs gut today at 53# to see if it helps.
Top Spin/Slice-Topspin was decent but nothing outstanding. Slices were very good, and I got some good skidding approach shots many times in match play. I am having trouble getting used to the thicker beam, but the more balls I hit the more comfortable I am getting. I have deliberately not used my other frames during the last 2 weeks of this test so I would be less biased.
Comfort- This is comfortable racquet without feeling too flexy. I have had no shoulder or arm issues at all.
Feel- I have always leaned towards thin beamed, solid flexy frames in the past (200GMW, Yonex 002 tour, TI 80 and volk, Becker frames), so there is a particular feel I look for in my frames. Solid, comfortable with good ball pocketing. I felt this frame was over muted and played stiffer at times than its flex rating and was a bit unstable high in the string bed for me with my current set up on it. lower tension/ different string may help a lot, or not I will see, but as is feel is mediocre for me.
Maneuverability- The tour is pretty maneuverable and had no issues even though it is a thicker beamed than I usually use.
Stability- Stability is good but not great. I felt that I got pushed around a bit against big hitters resulting in playing more defensively than offensively.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This frame is a decent frame and I could see a lot of people enjoying it, myself included If I can get It set up right. it is comfortable and plays much like most modern frames with the added benefit of a lower flex rating. I am going to try a few string set ups
before I bail on it for sure.
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ShahofTennis
Hall of Fame
I want to start my review for the Prince ATS Texteme Tour 95 by giving a huge thanks to Tennis Warehouse, Prince, and the moderators and users of Talk Tennis. I appreciate everyone mentioned for their own unique contributions to this forum and making it the thriving environment of discussion between tennis enthusiasts that it is. A particular thanks goes out to Tennis Warehouse for holding this playtest for the Talk Tennis community, and a particular thanks also goes out to Prince for all that they do for the tennis community.
Racquet Received: I was selected to playtest and review the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 95. I received the frame in a 4 3/8 grip size. I had initially requested a 2, but unfortunately the organizers could not secure one in my requested grip size, but it wasn’t an issue as the grip was not too large for my admittedly smaller sized hands.
String and Tension used for Playtest: I used 2 different strings for the duration of the playtest. My first go around I decided to string it up with an experimental seeding set of an upcoming version of Solinco Confidential in 16 gauge. For my second go around in stringing I decided to use a round poly and went with Yonex Poly Tour Fire 1.25.
Tennis Experience/Background: I have played tennis competitively since my junior years in middle school but began playing tennis around the age of 10 with my parents. In highschool I played all 4 years. In college I played club for about 2 years, and then stopped to focus on other things. I continued to play with the club players, and I then took up some teaching/coaching work at some local tennis clinics being operated near me. I have continued to play since college, although it seems like I’m hitting with less and less variety of players nowadays. It’s been 18 years since I first picked up a racquet.
Describe your Playing Style: I am an offensive baseliner with a quick serve. Movement wise I could be an all-court player, but I mostly use my footspeed to patrol the baseline and occasionally push forward for approach shots. I really like to serve and volley in doubles. In singles I play with pace and rely on my 1st serve to aid in executing my patterns. I struggle with accuracy at times, but who doesn’t amirite?
Current Racquet/String setups: Prior to beginning with the ATS Tour 95, I had just cut a set of Head Lynx Spin2 from my Youtek IG Prestige MP and began playing with my Babolat Pure Storm GT Ltd’s (2010-2011 edition) strung with Isospeed Grey Fire 1.25 at 51 lbs. I usually find myself alternating between my IG prestige MP’s or my Babolat Pure Storm Ltd’s/Pure Control 95’s. My preferred setup is a Gut/Poly hybrid with a round or slick poly in the crosses. Strings like Isospeed Black Fire, Poly Tour Fire, and Poly Tour Spin G are my usual go-to for these setups. My first selected string was a bit of a turn from normalcy (Full bed of Solinco Confidential) as I usually don’t string with a full bed of shaped poly. Usually, I’ll hybrid a shaped poly with a smooth poly in the crosses or go smooth poly in a full bed, I opted for a full bed of Poly Tour Fire in the 2nd go round.
Hours Played with Racquet: I strung this racquet up on Wednesday June 22nd, and began playing with it Thursday June 23rd. For the most part I have used it for hitting against competitive juniors but made sure to put it through its paces in set play. I used the playtest frame exclusively until Tuesday July 12th. All in all between feeding, hitting, and set play over the course of a 20 day period (excluding 2 Saturdays), I have hit with the frame for 18 days. All the feeding aside, I have hit with the frame for about 30 hours and played about a dozen sets and tiebreaks each for about 20 hours total. All told I have used this frame exclusively for about 60 hours over the course of 18 days on court.
Racquet Performance on Groundstrokes/Serves/Volleys/Returns:
Racquet Received: I was selected to playtest and review the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 95. I received the frame in a 4 3/8 grip size. I had initially requested a 2, but unfortunately the organizers could not secure one in my requested grip size, but it wasn’t an issue as the grip was not too large for my admittedly smaller sized hands.
String and Tension used for Playtest: I used 2 different strings for the duration of the playtest. My first go around I decided to string it up with an experimental seeding set of an upcoming version of Solinco Confidential in 16 gauge. For my second go around in stringing I decided to use a round poly and went with Yonex Poly Tour Fire 1.25.
Tennis Experience/Background: I have played tennis competitively since my junior years in middle school but began playing tennis around the age of 10 with my parents. In highschool I played all 4 years. In college I played club for about 2 years, and then stopped to focus on other things. I continued to play with the club players, and I then took up some teaching/coaching work at some local tennis clinics being operated near me. I have continued to play since college, although it seems like I’m hitting with less and less variety of players nowadays. It’s been 18 years since I first picked up a racquet.
Describe your Playing Style: I am an offensive baseliner with a quick serve. Movement wise I could be an all-court player, but I mostly use my footspeed to patrol the baseline and occasionally push forward for approach shots. I really like to serve and volley in doubles. In singles I play with pace and rely on my 1st serve to aid in executing my patterns. I struggle with accuracy at times, but who doesn’t amirite?
Current Racquet/String setups: Prior to beginning with the ATS Tour 95, I had just cut a set of Head Lynx Spin2 from my Youtek IG Prestige MP and began playing with my Babolat Pure Storm GT Ltd’s (2010-2011 edition) strung with Isospeed Grey Fire 1.25 at 51 lbs. I usually find myself alternating between my IG prestige MP’s or my Babolat Pure Storm Ltd’s/Pure Control 95’s. My preferred setup is a Gut/Poly hybrid with a round or slick poly in the crosses. Strings like Isospeed Black Fire, Poly Tour Fire, and Poly Tour Spin G are my usual go-to for these setups. My first selected string was a bit of a turn from normalcy (Full bed of Solinco Confidential) as I usually don’t string with a full bed of shaped poly. Usually, I’ll hybrid a shaped poly with a smooth poly in the crosses or go smooth poly in a full bed, I opted for a full bed of Poly Tour Fire in the 2nd go round.
Hours Played with Racquet: I strung this racquet up on Wednesday June 22nd, and began playing with it Thursday June 23rd. For the most part I have used it for hitting against competitive juniors but made sure to put it through its paces in set play. I used the playtest frame exclusively until Tuesday July 12th. All in all between feeding, hitting, and set play over the course of a 20 day period (excluding 2 Saturdays), I have hit with the frame for 18 days. All the feeding aside, I have hit with the frame for about 30 hours and played about a dozen sets and tiebreaks each for about 20 hours total. All told I have used this frame exclusively for about 60 hours over the course of 18 days on court.
Racquet Performance on Groundstrokes/Serves/Volleys/Returns:
- Forehand: Coming from other 95in2 players frames, I was able to continue hitting with the ATS Tour 95 with little to no break in. The ATS 95’s open string pattern made it very easy to access spin and power using long fast strokes, and its head light balance and stable construction helped me to confidently whip my forehands close to the corners and the baseline. This racquet was easier to hit with than my 18x20 frames as it’s stringbed alone made it a more forgiving frame. My forehand is usually my more sensitive wing compared to my backhand. Because of this I tend to be very picky when it comes to my racquets head size, stiffness, weight, and balance. The ATS Tour 95 checked most of these boxes, except I found the frame to be a little unstable if I didn’t generate enough tip speed on defensive shots on the forehand wing. A little weight at 3 and 9 would have resolved this, but I’m personally not the kind of person who likes to weight up their racquet. I was a tinkerer of sorts in the past, but not anymore.
- Backhand: I really enjoyed the ATS Tour 95 on my backhand. To me, it swings like a Yonex 95 off the backhand wing. I really like how I can effortlessly (a relative term in this regard) drive it out to contact with a less pronounced backswing. Other frames tend to lack this feature on the backhand, especially the one-handed backhand. Usually, I have to coil a little more to make my preferred frames make it over the hump, but with the ATS Tour 95 I found it was easier to generate the swing that I wanted because I didn’t have to give it as much of that jump start off. The only negative this frame had on the backhand wing was that the box beam acted as a bit of an obstruction at times. Shanks will inevitably happen, but I found they were happening with this frame more often. I think the frame just lacks an aerodynamic quality because it’s one of the thicker box beam frames I’ve come across. This is a very good option for slice backhand as well given that the open 16x19 pattern is very spin friendly. The box beam’s thickness isn’t a big issue for me on slice since the ball pockets and leaves the stringbed quickly.
- 1ST Serves: The ATS Tour 95 is a great frame for 1st serves, but a bit of an oddity on second serves. The ATS Tour 95 on paper is exactly what I would hope for in an offensive serving racquet. A heavy 95in2 players frame with a 16x19 pattern and a headlight balance is a great experience on 1st serves. Prince continues to get the specs right in that regard. I have not experienced that access to pace on 1st serve for a good while since the pop simply isn’t there on 18x20 patterns. The pace this frame added to my first serve helped me to hold service games easier, and I found I was averaging faster holds with the 16x19 patterns. Wide serves were nice and had plenty of pop, but I really enjoyed this frame on my T-serve. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to T-off (pun intended) on a T-serve in a long time. The open pattern and headlight balance were very helpful in finding the lines on T-serve. My wide serve to the deuce side also shined with this frame as I was consistently getting the ball to hook into the singles line.
- 2ND Serves: The ATS Tour 95’s box beam is a very appreciated feature amongst tennis fans because of its timeless look, and implications of the frame having great feel. The ATS delivers on both looks and feel with its box beam frame design, but I’m personally of the opinion that less may be more in this regard. Babolat and Wilson’s use of the box beam design usually employ these designs with beam widths between 18-19 mm. Prince employs it at 22 mm. 3-4 mm may not seem like much in the grand scheme of a set, but I can’t help but feel that it made a sizeable difference in my 2nd serve. On second serve I felt that I lacked consistency on being able to impart the spin on the ball needed for high bouncing topspin serves, and high and wide kicking kick serves. I can execute this much more easily on my IG Prestige MP’s flat beam frames (21 mm), and box beam frames with thinner profiles like the Pure Storm Ltd/Pure Control 95’s. The ATS Tour 95 was difficult for me to effectively use for the 2nd serves that I wanted. I’m not sure whether I’m making a mountain out of a molehill here, but I can’t shake the feeling that the thickness of the beam was a negative for me on the backhand and 2nd serve. Others may feel differently.
- Volleys: The ATS Tour 95 is a great frame for Volleys. It has great stability, and great maneuverability so you can always get the racquet behind the ball. On top of that, it has a nice feel to it that made me very comfortable with hitting volleys deep or dropping them short. One aspect of volleys that I really enjoyed on the ATS Tour 95 was just how solid it was on low volleys. Overheads were also like miniature serves in that I had no problem in getting great pace on them.
- Return of Serves: When returning serves, I felt that the ATS Tour 95 was a well-rounded frame. I find that I prefer the low powered nature of 18x20 patterns since I can usually get some insurance when hitting high and heavy returns. I didn’t have as much insurance here with a 16x19 patterns, but I think that this frame provides an equally valuable alternative which was more power. With an 18x20 I found that I could rely on the stringbed as a buffer, but with the 16x19 I found that I got rewarded quicker for good returns. Slice returns were a revelation with this frame. With the ATS Tour 95 I found that I could more reliably take my opponent into the late stage of their service games. It was just easier to keep the ball in play with the ATS Tour 95. I felt like I couldn’t approach this with as much finesse as I could with my Prestige/Pure Storm/Pure Control but I’ll trade finesse and gusto for a reliable aide in breaking my opponent any day of the week.
ShahofTennis
Hall of Fame
This post continues where the above left off. This post will conclude my review.
A big thanks to Prince, Tennis Warehouse, and the Talk Tennis forum for making these playtests possible and oh so enjoyable.
- Power and Control: The ATS Tour 95 offered great power and control and struck a nice balance between the two in almost every regard. I continually found groundstrokes with this racquet that I could plow through and go cross court and down the line on with no problem. I think the 16x19 pattern is likely to be the strongest feature of this racquet as far as power and control are concerned. Its hard to find something on groundies, net, and 1st serve that this racquet can’t or won’t put away easily and reliably.
- Top Spin/Slice: The ATS Tour 95 is not to be taken lightly when it comes to its versatility on slice and topspin. Something to keep in mind is that this frame is not meant to be swung slowly. Whereas a Babolat Pure Aero may allow for a more laid-back approach to generating top spin, the Prince ATS Tour 95 requires that the frame be swung at high speed while also generating the required topspin to keep your shots hooking back into the singles court reliably. In that regard it’s more challenging to generate spin, but it is in no way inferior to tweener frames in spin production. The mass of this frame also lends a hand in generating good topspin as well as good underspin.
- Comfort: The ATS Tour 95 comes in at a Stiffness rating of 61. This, combined with technologies to soften the feel make the ATS Tour 95, in my opinion, one of the most arm friendly players stick of 2022. I did not feel any discomfort while playing with the ATS Tour 95. In fact, I think I may have hurt my forearm over the past few days as I began playing with my Pure Storm Ltd’s again. If this pain doesn’t subside in the next few days, I may very well have to go back to the ATS Tour 95.
- Feel: The ATS Tour 95 felt great in almost every regard. I enjoyed its crisp response at higher swing speeds and enjoyed its buttery feedback on volleys. I do however think that it at times lacked some crispness on groundstrokes if I deviated from hitting the ball in the center of the stringbed. This wasn’t a real issue for me as it only really occurred in defensive situations and was par for the course in that regard.
- Maneuverability: I found the ATS Tour 95 to be very maneuverable like most 95in2 frames in that category. I think what sets it apart in that regard is its headlight balance and box beam. The frame is almost like a wand that effortlessly waves through the air. I really appreciated the ATS Tour 95’s maneuverability on approach shots where the bounce height was subject to change. When my hand completely under the frame, this frame maneuvered like no other going into my backswing. I simply cannot remember the last time I have been able to whip a heavy racquet so effortlessly on an approach shot. The balance of this frame is also very well suited for big strokes, I did not feel any resistance in the head when swinging out for big shots, and the racquet felt very light when I was recovering between shots.
- Stability: I must take my hat off to Prince for their incorporation of ATS technology in this frame. The ATS Tour 95 is very stable option in the 95in2 category. Most frames fall short in the stability department in that head size category. I only wish that they had incorporated physically more ATS in 3 and 9 than they have. Whatever it is, it works, but more physical mass of that material would have made the stability more worthwhile. All in all, the ATS Tour 95 is a very stable frame, amongst its other shining qualities detailed in this review.
A big thanks to Prince, Tennis Warehouse, and the Talk Tennis forum for making these playtests possible and oh so enjoyable.
jonestim
Hall of Fame
Prince Tour ATS 98
String and tension used for test: First string job: Prince Vortex 16g @ 50 lbs. Second string job: Prince Premier Control 16g mains @ 48lbs / Volkl V-Pro 1.23 @ 45lbs cross.
Note on tension I string my Phantom 100x at 48, but on other 100 sq inch racquets I have gone as low as 45 and as high as 52. I have gone as low as 40 in my 93" racquets. I generally like lower tensions, but I went with 50 to start for this because it had more power than my Phantom 100x and reviewers mentioned a high launch angle. I didn't find that it had a high launch angle compared to many other Prince racquets I have used in the past. My current Phantom 100x, Textreme Warriors, Graphite OS and Mid, EXO3 Tour 16x18 all have higher launch angles and I am accustomed to them. For me, 50 with Vortex was too high in this racquet. The sweet spot became pretty small. When I hit center it was very nice and I would get great results, but hitting off center (which I tend to do more with a new racquet) would give unpredictable results. On my next bed of full poly I will string at 45-46 (what I would string my 1st Gen Tour 100P at). My goal on the second string job (multi/poly) was to open the sweet spot up and get a general idea for tension before putting in a gut/poly string job. It did open it up and was a lot more forgiving. There were a few strokes I struggled with initially that really came around with the second string job. I would probably string the gut/poly at 48/45. For reference, I string gut/poly my 93p 18x20 at 45/42 and in my Phantom 100P at 50/46.
Tennis experience/background: Picked up the game 11 years ago at 38. Last played USTA at 3.5 in 2020. Was hitting well enough last year to be competitive in a weekly 4.0 doubles group. Torn calf this spring has me playing closer to 3.5 now, but working my way back up. Played mostly singles for the first 7 years, and more doubles than singles since.
I have a lot of experience with Prince racquets. I started out on a thrift shop POG mid, and have owned no less than 15 other models since. EXO3 White / Tour 16x18 / Tour 18x20 / Tour 100 ESP / Tour 95; Diablo Mid; Graphite mid / OS / 100 / 100 Longbody; Textreme Tour 95 / 100P (1st Gens) and a heavily leaded 100L; Textreme Warrior 100 / 107; Phantom 93p 18x20 / 100P / 100X. I have demoed 10+ others in that time as well.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Retriever. Semi western forehand, one handed backhand. Pretty good serve and then I rely on movement to get me to a lot of balls that others wouldn't get to. I don't mind longer rallies and will not go for winners early.
Current racquet/string setups:
Prince Phantom 100X 305 with Toroline Caviar @ 48 lbs and 2 grams lead at 12. Also keep a Phantom 100P and 93P with gut/poly setups in the bag.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
13 - mostly singles, with some doubles and ball machine.
-Groundstrokes:
Forehand : On my first string job I found targeting to be great - as long as I was in the sweet spot. On my second string job I felt the sweet spot open up and was getting more consistency as well as a higher launch that I am accustomed to . Spin was quite good, but not as high as with my Phantom 100x. The power was higher, and this led to a ball that drove through the court more than sat up, which can sometimes happen with the Phantom. It rewarded bigger swings,
OHBH : Once I had the second setup I was getting reliable, deep balls. My backhand is often a neutral shot unless I am going for a short angle passing shot. I like a loopy ball that finds a deep, safe target while I wait for a short ball to use my forehand on. With the tighter poly I was not finding this. The ball was coming off flatter and I wasn't getting the natural depth, which led to swinging harder and the associated errors. Once I was able to get a bit more natural launch from the racquet I was getting the results I wanted.
-Serves: Yes please. I found good pace, excellent placement and was getting more aces than usual. By the end of the playtest I had regular opponents comment how well I was serving. At the beginning of the playtest I would have a great serve and then the next serve would be wild or in the net. Lots of double faults. Stringing with poly at 50 had a smaller sweet spot than I was used to, and I was hitting off center more while getting used to the new racquet. My timing got better with it, then I restrung with the multi/poly setup and things really came around. It was more forgiving and I had great pace and placement on flat serves. Spin serves did not have the same kick I am getting with my Phantom, but they were reliable with few double faults.
-Volleys: Good, but not as nice as others in my bag. My volleys are more placement than hitting outright winners. It was quick to get into position with it's weight and balance and great on punch volleys, but does not have the same touch as my Phantoms. The 100x has a more generous sweet spot and the 93p has touch in spades. The ball would go in the direction I wanted, but sometimes it would not be as soft as I was trying for. One area that the 98 did excel in is stability with volleys hit near the tip.
-Serve returns: I felt good chipping off both sides and by the end of the playtest could get both depth when I tried, and short angles when I needed. I didn't feel comfortable taking topsin rips on return, but that part of my game has been suffering this spring in general. I like a full poly setup for this and the one full poly setup I tried was too tight.
Continued......
String and tension used for test: First string job: Prince Vortex 16g @ 50 lbs. Second string job: Prince Premier Control 16g mains @ 48lbs / Volkl V-Pro 1.23 @ 45lbs cross.
Note on tension I string my Phantom 100x at 48, but on other 100 sq inch racquets I have gone as low as 45 and as high as 52. I have gone as low as 40 in my 93" racquets. I generally like lower tensions, but I went with 50 to start for this because it had more power than my Phantom 100x and reviewers mentioned a high launch angle. I didn't find that it had a high launch angle compared to many other Prince racquets I have used in the past. My current Phantom 100x, Textreme Warriors, Graphite OS and Mid, EXO3 Tour 16x18 all have higher launch angles and I am accustomed to them. For me, 50 with Vortex was too high in this racquet. The sweet spot became pretty small. When I hit center it was very nice and I would get great results, but hitting off center (which I tend to do more with a new racquet) would give unpredictable results. On my next bed of full poly I will string at 45-46 (what I would string my 1st Gen Tour 100P at). My goal on the second string job (multi/poly) was to open the sweet spot up and get a general idea for tension before putting in a gut/poly string job. It did open it up and was a lot more forgiving. There were a few strokes I struggled with initially that really came around with the second string job. I would probably string the gut/poly at 48/45. For reference, I string gut/poly my 93p 18x20 at 45/42 and in my Phantom 100P at 50/46.
Tennis experience/background: Picked up the game 11 years ago at 38. Last played USTA at 3.5 in 2020. Was hitting well enough last year to be competitive in a weekly 4.0 doubles group. Torn calf this spring has me playing closer to 3.5 now, but working my way back up. Played mostly singles for the first 7 years, and more doubles than singles since.
I have a lot of experience with Prince racquets. I started out on a thrift shop POG mid, and have owned no less than 15 other models since. EXO3 White / Tour 16x18 / Tour 18x20 / Tour 100 ESP / Tour 95; Diablo Mid; Graphite mid / OS / 100 / 100 Longbody; Textreme Tour 95 / 100P (1st Gens) and a heavily leaded 100L; Textreme Warrior 100 / 107; Phantom 93p 18x20 / 100P / 100X. I have demoed 10+ others in that time as well.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Retriever. Semi western forehand, one handed backhand. Pretty good serve and then I rely on movement to get me to a lot of balls that others wouldn't get to. I don't mind longer rallies and will not go for winners early.
Current racquet/string setups:
Prince Phantom 100X 305 with Toroline Caviar @ 48 lbs and 2 grams lead at 12. Also keep a Phantom 100P and 93P with gut/poly setups in the bag.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
13 - mostly singles, with some doubles and ball machine.
-Groundstrokes:
Forehand : On my first string job I found targeting to be great - as long as I was in the sweet spot. On my second string job I felt the sweet spot open up and was getting more consistency as well as a higher launch that I am accustomed to . Spin was quite good, but not as high as with my Phantom 100x. The power was higher, and this led to a ball that drove through the court more than sat up, which can sometimes happen with the Phantom. It rewarded bigger swings,
OHBH : Once I had the second setup I was getting reliable, deep balls. My backhand is often a neutral shot unless I am going for a short angle passing shot. I like a loopy ball that finds a deep, safe target while I wait for a short ball to use my forehand on. With the tighter poly I was not finding this. The ball was coming off flatter and I wasn't getting the natural depth, which led to swinging harder and the associated errors. Once I was able to get a bit more natural launch from the racquet I was getting the results I wanted.
-Serves: Yes please. I found good pace, excellent placement and was getting more aces than usual. By the end of the playtest I had regular opponents comment how well I was serving. At the beginning of the playtest I would have a great serve and then the next serve would be wild or in the net. Lots of double faults. Stringing with poly at 50 had a smaller sweet spot than I was used to, and I was hitting off center more while getting used to the new racquet. My timing got better with it, then I restrung with the multi/poly setup and things really came around. It was more forgiving and I had great pace and placement on flat serves. Spin serves did not have the same kick I am getting with my Phantom, but they were reliable with few double faults.
-Volleys: Good, but not as nice as others in my bag. My volleys are more placement than hitting outright winners. It was quick to get into position with it's weight and balance and great on punch volleys, but does not have the same touch as my Phantoms. The 100x has a more generous sweet spot and the 93p has touch in spades. The ball would go in the direction I wanted, but sometimes it would not be as soft as I was trying for. One area that the 98 did excel in is stability with volleys hit near the tip.
-Serve returns: I felt good chipping off both sides and by the end of the playtest could get both depth when I tried, and short angles when I needed. I didn't feel comfortable taking topsin rips on return, but that part of my game has been suffering this spring in general. I like a full poly setup for this and the one full poly setup I tried was too tight.
Continued......
jonestim
Hall of Fame
Prince Tour ATS 98 Continued
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum).
Power/Control- It's been said by a lot of the playtesters that is is a good balance of Power / Control and I agree. I was getting more power than my normal setup but still was able to keep it in. Targeting was better than with my current setups and I could aim for tighter targets. The flip side was that it wasn't quite as forgiving on off-center hits and those balls would be short.
Top Spin/Slice- I've played a number of racquets that have been more spin friendly (Phantom 100x, POG Mid, Tour ESP, Warrior) and some less (Diablo Mid, Tour 100P, Phantom 93P). Given good head speed I could get a nice arc and have the ball penetrate through the court vs having it dip in and sit up (I'm looking at you Tour ESP). I do like a little more topspin on my backhand side than I was getting with either of these string setups, but a thinner poly at a lower tension or a 17g gut instead of the 16g multi would most likely take care of this.
Slice : Slice - it's not just for the backhand anymore! I've been also playing pickleball lately and I slice a lot there off both wings. I've been transferring that over to tennis as well. While not giving as rewarding a slice as the 93P (but what does), I was able to control it well and I was getting some decent drop shots.
Comfort- Comfortable enough. I broke my elbow 15 years ago and most racquets over 65 stiffness / 150hz vibration give me trouble. This was comfortable enough (62 / 138 hz) to not cause problems, while not being as plush as my normal setups. The opposite side of that is that the Tour 98 has better stability and power which is probably worth the tradeoff as long as it's still comfortable enough.
Feel- It played a little stiffer than the 62 would suggest, but not in a bad way. A lot of Prince racquets in this flex range have had more flex in the upper hoop - like the Graphite 100 and 100 LB - leading to a flutter. The hoop was solid which was reassuring. It was sufficiently muted so I did not feel the need to use a dampener.
Maneuverability- It's a thicker beam than I usually use, but a similar weight / swingweight / balance. Other than a couple outliers I usually end up playing best with racquets between 325-330g, 6-8 points HL and about a 322-327 swing weight. This is right in that wheelhouse and is plenty maneuverable for me. Initially I was a bit slow on the backhand. With the first string job I was weighing in at 327 grams, but the second took a full 3 grams out of the hoop and things started firing better. I will probably use thinner gauge strings in it going forward.
Stability- Great. I have lead on my 100x because of the lack of stability in the upper hoop. The Tour 98 doesn't need it. The flex is more in the throat and the hoop is nice and solid. I didn't play any big hitters during the last 4 weeks but I can't see it having any issues against people I normally hit with.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I liked it quite a bit. It makes me want to play more aggressive tennis than I do with my current racquets. It rewards hitting hard and has good targeting to go with that as long as your focus is on. For me it does not need any customization, but I do need to tinker with strings more. I do wish Prince had used their ResiTex Tour grip instead of the Pro on it. The Pro is a little soft. The ResiTex Tour is firmer and weighs about the same as a leather grip if you want to go that route without effecting the weight/balance much, and I do like the stock weight/balance of the Tour 98. I just replaced my Volkl Super Perf overgrip with a Wilson Pro Sensation that is noticeably thinner. I haven't hit with it yet, but there is better bevel feel.
I let a couple other people try it as well. A Pure Drive user was super impressed with the control and feel of it and will consider it for his next racquet. The other plays a Head Radical, hadn't hit a Prince frame since the 80s and was biased against them. He also enjoyed the hit very much. I think this is going to be a racquet a lot of people will like if they can get over it not being made by Wilson, Head or Babolat. It's also super nice that they kept it at the $200 price point - $30 to $70 less than new frames from the big 3. Great job.
Will I "switch"? I don't know - but I will continue to hit with it as I try a few more string setups.
Thanks Tennis Warehouse and Prince for the opportunity.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum).
Power/Control- It's been said by a lot of the playtesters that is is a good balance of Power / Control and I agree. I was getting more power than my normal setup but still was able to keep it in. Targeting was better than with my current setups and I could aim for tighter targets. The flip side was that it wasn't quite as forgiving on off-center hits and those balls would be short.
Top Spin/Slice- I've played a number of racquets that have been more spin friendly (Phantom 100x, POG Mid, Tour ESP, Warrior) and some less (Diablo Mid, Tour 100P, Phantom 93P). Given good head speed I could get a nice arc and have the ball penetrate through the court vs having it dip in and sit up (I'm looking at you Tour ESP). I do like a little more topspin on my backhand side than I was getting with either of these string setups, but a thinner poly at a lower tension or a 17g gut instead of the 16g multi would most likely take care of this.
Slice : Slice - it's not just for the backhand anymore! I've been also playing pickleball lately and I slice a lot there off both wings. I've been transferring that over to tennis as well. While not giving as rewarding a slice as the 93P (but what does), I was able to control it well and I was getting some decent drop shots.
Comfort- Comfortable enough. I broke my elbow 15 years ago and most racquets over 65 stiffness / 150hz vibration give me trouble. This was comfortable enough (62 / 138 hz) to not cause problems, while not being as plush as my normal setups. The opposite side of that is that the Tour 98 has better stability and power which is probably worth the tradeoff as long as it's still comfortable enough.
Feel- It played a little stiffer than the 62 would suggest, but not in a bad way. A lot of Prince racquets in this flex range have had more flex in the upper hoop - like the Graphite 100 and 100 LB - leading to a flutter. The hoop was solid which was reassuring. It was sufficiently muted so I did not feel the need to use a dampener.
Maneuverability- It's a thicker beam than I usually use, but a similar weight / swingweight / balance. Other than a couple outliers I usually end up playing best with racquets between 325-330g, 6-8 points HL and about a 322-327 swing weight. This is right in that wheelhouse and is plenty maneuverable for me. Initially I was a bit slow on the backhand. With the first string job I was weighing in at 327 grams, but the second took a full 3 grams out of the hoop and things started firing better. I will probably use thinner gauge strings in it going forward.
Stability- Great. I have lead on my 100x because of the lack of stability in the upper hoop. The Tour 98 doesn't need it. The flex is more in the throat and the hoop is nice and solid. I didn't play any big hitters during the last 4 weeks but I can't see it having any issues against people I normally hit with.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I liked it quite a bit. It makes me want to play more aggressive tennis than I do with my current racquets. It rewards hitting hard and has good targeting to go with that as long as your focus is on. For me it does not need any customization, but I do need to tinker with strings more. I do wish Prince had used their ResiTex Tour grip instead of the Pro on it. The Pro is a little soft. The ResiTex Tour is firmer and weighs about the same as a leather grip if you want to go that route without effecting the weight/balance much, and I do like the stock weight/balance of the Tour 98. I just replaced my Volkl Super Perf overgrip with a Wilson Pro Sensation that is noticeably thinner. I haven't hit with it yet, but there is better bevel feel.
I let a couple other people try it as well. A Pure Drive user was super impressed with the control and feel of it and will consider it for his next racquet. The other plays a Head Radical, hadn't hit a Prince frame since the 80s and was biased against them. He also enjoyed the hit very much. I think this is going to be a racquet a lot of people will like if they can get over it not being made by Wilson, Head or Babolat. It's also super nice that they kept it at the $200 price point - $30 to $70 less than new frames from the big 3. Great job.
Will I "switch"? I don't know - but I will continue to hit with it as I try a few more string setups.
Thanks Tennis Warehouse and Prince for the opportunity.
Last edited:
fl4tsc
Rookie
Prince Textreme Tour 98 Review
First off, thanks a ton to Tennis Warehouse and Prince for putting this playtest on. My apologies for getting this review out so last minute, had some last minute travel that took me away from tennis for a bit.
TL/DR: I usually play with an 18x20 H22. This felt better in nearly every way, except pinpoint control and hitting flat bombs on groundies and serves. Comfort was great and feel was good, maybe even great. Makes a nice sound on contact and with a little bit of weight added to the tip and a leather grip it played exceptional. Would I switch? Maybe. Going to keep hitting with it. A really easy racket to use!
String and tension used for test: Volkl Cyclone 18g (orange) 48/46lbs. Decided to go up 2lbs for the more open pattern.
Tennis experience/background: I’ve played my whole life, grew up with a tennis coach father, and coached myself for a couple years.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I try to play an all-court game, but usually end up spending most points at the baseline. I’m a tall guy (6’4”) so I try to use my serve and power to end points rather than get into long grinding rallies.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson H22 18x20 w/ Volkl Cyclone 18g (orange)
How many hours did you play with the racquet? So far I’ve gotten about 4 hours of court time with the racket, but will update when I get more.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:
-Groundstrokes: Although this racket comes in a good bit lighter than my usual H22, I was really impressed by the power and spin levels provided. My hitting partner immediately commented my shots were kicking off the court much higher. Control was good when aiming for big targets, but there were times when I really struggled to hit smaller targets. Part of this is I’m sure due to low familiarity with the racket, but I will update as I continue to play with it. I was initially worried about the launch angle being too high coming from an 18x20 pattern, but it was never really an issue after a short adjustment period. My flat backhand is usually pretty sensitive to higher launch angles, but not with the Tour 98. The 4 pairs of main strings in the throat likely helped it feel closer to an 18x20 than a typical 16x19.
-Serves: Serves were really interesting with the Tour 98. I’m not sure I’ve ever hit a better kick serve. This is where the stock whippyness comes in handy. Although the kick serve felt great I struggled to really hit much of a flat serve. Not sure if it’s a result of the lighter weight, the string pattern, or both.
After adding 5g of lead to the tip of the hoop it became a lot easier to hit the flat serve, but I definitely lost a little spin from my kicker. This felt like a really nice middle ground between stock and the H22.
-Volleys: Volleys felt really good at the stock weight, but I’d prefer a little extra mass to help out stability and power just a tad. The relative whippyness helped me get the racket in position more quickly, but I never felt like my volleys had the same bite as with my heavier H22. I was able to hit significantly better touch/drop volleys with the Tour 98 than my H22.
After adding about 5g of lead at the tip of the hoop volleys were just about perfect, while still maintaining the excellent touch.
-Serve returns: In stock form the Tour 98 felt great against weaker servers where I could really tee off and get the ball jumping up into them with spin. Against heavier servers it felt maybe a bit too light to be super consistent at just blocking serves back. After adding the leather grip and 5g to the tip it was even easier to attack softer serves and the added stability made defending against harder serves much easier.
Comments on racquet performance in each area:
Power/Control- One of the best combinations of power and control I’ve hit with since my H22, but it achieves this combo while generating far more spin than the H22. The slightly higher launch angle required a small adjustment period, but quickly became a non-issue. I did struggle a bit when aiming for smaller targets with the Tour 98. I also found myself coming over top of the ball more than usual and over-spinning it into the net. Maybe I need some adjustment to the taller/skinnier oval shape of the hoop?
Top Spin/Slice- A noticeable uptick in spin compared to my H22 and up there with some of the more spin oriented sticks on the market. Even after adding a leather grip and 5g at the tip it still generated great amounts of spin. I was also pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to keep slices low, something I usually really struggle with on less dense string patterns.
Comfort- Comfort was excellent, probably better than my H22. Even on really bad mishits I never had any wrist or elbow discomfort. What was impressive is the frame manages this comfort without going overboard on the dampening.
Feel- As mentioned above this racket is super comfortable, but avoids my biggest annoyance in modern frames of way too much dampening. With the stock synthetic grip, things felt a little too muted for me, but if you’re used to synthetic grips I wouldn’t be concerned. After swapping it out for a leather grip I got just enough feedback/vibration while still maintaining really nice comfort levels. There is definitely some feeling of ball pocketing. I think the H22 does a better job here, but it's super close. The Tour 98 also makes an excellent noise at contact.
Maneuverability- In stock form it’s one of the most maneuverable rackets I’ve ever hit with. This leaves a bunch of room for modifications without making the racket too hard to swing. Even after adding a leather grip and 5g to the tip I still felt like the racket came around way easier than my H22 which was only a few grams heavier.
Stability- Given its maneuverability it has excellent stability in stock form. Does it have enough if you’re playing really high level tennis? It’s close. I would add weight, but I definitely think there are players out there who wouldn’t find it necessary. The taller/skinnier oval shape of the hoop likely contributes to this stability by keeping the mass closer to the sweet-spot.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Prince has made a really really good racket here with the Tour 98. In stock form it’s a little too tweener feeling for me, but it leaves a ton of room for modification and it doesn’t become a clumsy mess when you do modify it. Maybe it’s the paint job (which is really nice btw) but it reminds me a lot of the pure strike, but without the wrist discomfort afterwards. I would actually consider switching to the Tour 98 (which is saying a lot). I’m going to keep playing with it, maybe add a little more lead and see what happens. It’s an incredibly easy racket to use and it’s really good at everything, except flat bomb serves, in stock form.
First off, thanks a ton to Tennis Warehouse and Prince for putting this playtest on. My apologies for getting this review out so last minute, had some last minute travel that took me away from tennis for a bit.
TL/DR: I usually play with an 18x20 H22. This felt better in nearly every way, except pinpoint control and hitting flat bombs on groundies and serves. Comfort was great and feel was good, maybe even great. Makes a nice sound on contact and with a little bit of weight added to the tip and a leather grip it played exceptional. Would I switch? Maybe. Going to keep hitting with it. A really easy racket to use!
String and tension used for test: Volkl Cyclone 18g (orange) 48/46lbs. Decided to go up 2lbs for the more open pattern.
Tennis experience/background: I’ve played my whole life, grew up with a tennis coach father, and coached myself for a couple years.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I try to play an all-court game, but usually end up spending most points at the baseline. I’m a tall guy (6’4”) so I try to use my serve and power to end points rather than get into long grinding rallies.
Current racquet/string setups: Wilson H22 18x20 w/ Volkl Cyclone 18g (orange)
How many hours did you play with the racquet? So far I’ve gotten about 4 hours of court time with the racket, but will update when I get more.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:
-Groundstrokes: Although this racket comes in a good bit lighter than my usual H22, I was really impressed by the power and spin levels provided. My hitting partner immediately commented my shots were kicking off the court much higher. Control was good when aiming for big targets, but there were times when I really struggled to hit smaller targets. Part of this is I’m sure due to low familiarity with the racket, but I will update as I continue to play with it. I was initially worried about the launch angle being too high coming from an 18x20 pattern, but it was never really an issue after a short adjustment period. My flat backhand is usually pretty sensitive to higher launch angles, but not with the Tour 98. The 4 pairs of main strings in the throat likely helped it feel closer to an 18x20 than a typical 16x19.
-Serves: Serves were really interesting with the Tour 98. I’m not sure I’ve ever hit a better kick serve. This is where the stock whippyness comes in handy. Although the kick serve felt great I struggled to really hit much of a flat serve. Not sure if it’s a result of the lighter weight, the string pattern, or both.
After adding 5g of lead to the tip of the hoop it became a lot easier to hit the flat serve, but I definitely lost a little spin from my kicker. This felt like a really nice middle ground between stock and the H22.
-Volleys: Volleys felt really good at the stock weight, but I’d prefer a little extra mass to help out stability and power just a tad. The relative whippyness helped me get the racket in position more quickly, but I never felt like my volleys had the same bite as with my heavier H22. I was able to hit significantly better touch/drop volleys with the Tour 98 than my H22.
After adding about 5g of lead at the tip of the hoop volleys were just about perfect, while still maintaining the excellent touch.
-Serve returns: In stock form the Tour 98 felt great against weaker servers where I could really tee off and get the ball jumping up into them with spin. Against heavier servers it felt maybe a bit too light to be super consistent at just blocking serves back. After adding the leather grip and 5g to the tip it was even easier to attack softer serves and the added stability made defending against harder serves much easier.
Comments on racquet performance in each area:
Power/Control- One of the best combinations of power and control I’ve hit with since my H22, but it achieves this combo while generating far more spin than the H22. The slightly higher launch angle required a small adjustment period, but quickly became a non-issue. I did struggle a bit when aiming for smaller targets with the Tour 98. I also found myself coming over top of the ball more than usual and over-spinning it into the net. Maybe I need some adjustment to the taller/skinnier oval shape of the hoop?
Top Spin/Slice- A noticeable uptick in spin compared to my H22 and up there with some of the more spin oriented sticks on the market. Even after adding a leather grip and 5g at the tip it still generated great amounts of spin. I was also pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to keep slices low, something I usually really struggle with on less dense string patterns.
Comfort- Comfort was excellent, probably better than my H22. Even on really bad mishits I never had any wrist or elbow discomfort. What was impressive is the frame manages this comfort without going overboard on the dampening.
Feel- As mentioned above this racket is super comfortable, but avoids my biggest annoyance in modern frames of way too much dampening. With the stock synthetic grip, things felt a little too muted for me, but if you’re used to synthetic grips I wouldn’t be concerned. After swapping it out for a leather grip I got just enough feedback/vibration while still maintaining really nice comfort levels. There is definitely some feeling of ball pocketing. I think the H22 does a better job here, but it's super close. The Tour 98 also makes an excellent noise at contact.
Maneuverability- In stock form it’s one of the most maneuverable rackets I’ve ever hit with. This leaves a bunch of room for modifications without making the racket too hard to swing. Even after adding a leather grip and 5g to the tip I still felt like the racket came around way easier than my H22 which was only a few grams heavier.
Stability- Given its maneuverability it has excellent stability in stock form. Does it have enough if you’re playing really high level tennis? It’s close. I would add weight, but I definitely think there are players out there who wouldn’t find it necessary. The taller/skinnier oval shape of the hoop likely contributes to this stability by keeping the mass closer to the sweet-spot.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Prince has made a really really good racket here with the Tour 98. In stock form it’s a little too tweener feeling for me, but it leaves a ton of room for modification and it doesn’t become a clumsy mess when you do modify it. Maybe it’s the paint job (which is really nice btw) but it reminds me a lot of the pure strike, but without the wrist discomfort afterwards. I would actually consider switching to the Tour 98 (which is saying a lot). I’m going to keep playing with it, maybe add a little more lead and see what happens. It’s an incredibly easy racket to use and it’s really good at everything, except flat bomb serves, in stock form.
Wall Ball Wizard
Semi-Pro
Hi all, so here is my review of the Tour 100 (310). I've been intentionally staying away from this tread while I concluded my test. I didn't want others experiences influence mine.. I wanted to keep an open mind as much as possible.
String and tension used for test: Solinco Confidential 16L @ 52lbs. My racquet was a bit over-spec.. 11.65 oz strung. Pushing 11.9 with overgrip and Luxillon pink O dampener.
Tennis experience/background: Started playing at age 11 and played religiously till about 18.. self taught player. Played in my high school team and did some club tennis in my first couple of years of college. After about a near 20 year lay off got back into the sport 8 years ago and have since picked up where left off at 18!
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): counter-punching baseliner. 4.0 NTRP
Current racquet/string setups: Babolat Pure Aero / anything Solinco, but I've really grooved with Hyper G Soft 1.30 anywhere between 50 - 53lbs.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? about 12.
-Groundstrokes: The big sweetspot made rallying very enjoyable. The combination of an open 16x18 pattern and solid swing-weight really worked well with my counterpunching style. Redirecting pace was smooth. Slices were remarkable. When struck well, they stayed low and penetrating. The racquet's plow felt great with my 2 handed backhand. Generating spin was fairly easy on my forehand. I did at times struggle with high balls to my forehand. The racquets balance did make it feel a bit clumsy... same for approach shots.
-Serves: This was perhaps the part of the playtest when it's weight / balance was noticeable the most. The 310 does seem to have some mass on the hoop. Bringing it over my head was at times tricky... especially in pivotal moments during match play. Brushing up behind the ball required a bit more energy than my Pure Aero. This would lead to few more double faults than normal. I learned to let the racquet do most of the work with a loose grip... although at times my serve would just sit up for my opponent to attack.
-Volleys: Volleys were generally simple. Just point and shoot. The racquets mass came in handy here... very solid. Although quick reaction volleys could be awkward. It's not nimble enough.
-Serve returns: When taking a shorter backswing, it was easy to redirect the pace of hard serves. Even chipping at returns was effective, something I found myself doing a lot of with the 310. Like volleys, anything requiring a quick, last second adjustment (ie: reacting to a kick serve) could be clumsy due to the weight.
Comments on racquet performance:
Power/Control- A nice blend of both, perhaps more on the side of control. Considering it's a 16x18 pattern, it's control and precision is very impressive. I had no problems going for the lines with the 310. It's power source comes more from it's plow-through. It was fairly easy to put away weaker balls when stepping into the court. I strung it with Confidential 16L thinking I needed to tame a 100 in racquet with a open 16x18, but that wasn't the case... I think I may restring with a livelier, thinner string next time.
Top Spin/Slice- With it's big sweet-spot and spin window spin was always on tap. I felt even when racquet head speed would lower due to it's weight, the 16x18 string pattern would still bite the ball to add rotation. Properly struck sliced shots were incredible... you could quickly turn defensive situations into offensive ones.
Comfort- 10 out of 10. Solinco Confidential can feel a little harsh on my PA, but no issues here. The racquets weight always won the collision with the ball. Harsh vibrations were kept at bay.
Feel- Both well connected and muted. It has more of a thud than a ping at contact.
Maneuverability- The Achilles Heel... at least for me. The 310 has some mass in the hoop. This weight can be disguised. If I was playing well, loose, confident and in form, the weight wasn't too much of an issue. Mainly because it was providing me with great power, feel, stability, and comfort. But if I was tired, tentative (tight) during match play or if I lost form, the 310's weight became very noticeable. It would start feeling clumsy at times.
Stability- 100% solid. Nothing to discuss here..
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
In many ways the 310 is the baby of a Pure Aero and Blade v7 16x19. It's a nice blend of power, spin, and precision... although more modern players frame than tweener. Within minutes of my first session, I quickly gelled with it and was able to hit freely without thinking too much of the racquet. After that first session, I was in that euphoric Holic honeymoon zone! But by the third and fourth sessions, where I played competitive doubles and singles the racquet's caveat arose... it's weight. It's a hidden type of weight. When I first held it I didn't necessarily notice it, even when just drilling. It felt well balanced, solid. But in match play, when things get tight.. it can become a bit cumbersome. A particular shot I would struggle with was the approach shot. I felt the mass of the racquet would push the ball long with the slightest of contact at times. Finesse shots, or cat and mouse points in doubles felt a bit awkward with head heavy balance as well... as of this writing I still have not gelled with it there. I want to make it clear that the issues I found with the 310 are not a racquet flaw... it's really more the user! Strong, competitive players could really do damage with this stick. I recommend this racquet to 4.5 players or higher. Or physically stronger 4.0's. I also think players who use a Head Gravity, Speed, or Prestige Pro or Blade 18x20 that are looking for more modern, spin friendly response but don't want to sacrifice stability and plow should look here! Don't think this is a switchable stick for me, but will keep trying to coax the best out of it. I hope my review adds to a healthy discussion of the Tour 100 (310)!
Many thanks TW & Prince!
String and tension used for test: Solinco Confidential 16L @ 52lbs. My racquet was a bit over-spec.. 11.65 oz strung. Pushing 11.9 with overgrip and Luxillon pink O dampener.
Tennis experience/background: Started playing at age 11 and played religiously till about 18.. self taught player. Played in my high school team and did some club tennis in my first couple of years of college. After about a near 20 year lay off got back into the sport 8 years ago and have since picked up where left off at 18!
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): counter-punching baseliner. 4.0 NTRP
Current racquet/string setups: Babolat Pure Aero / anything Solinco, but I've really grooved with Hyper G Soft 1.30 anywhere between 50 - 53lbs.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? about 12.
-Groundstrokes: The big sweetspot made rallying very enjoyable. The combination of an open 16x18 pattern and solid swing-weight really worked well with my counterpunching style. Redirecting pace was smooth. Slices were remarkable. When struck well, they stayed low and penetrating. The racquet's plow felt great with my 2 handed backhand. Generating spin was fairly easy on my forehand. I did at times struggle with high balls to my forehand. The racquets balance did make it feel a bit clumsy... same for approach shots.
-Serves: This was perhaps the part of the playtest when it's weight / balance was noticeable the most. The 310 does seem to have some mass on the hoop. Bringing it over my head was at times tricky... especially in pivotal moments during match play. Brushing up behind the ball required a bit more energy than my Pure Aero. This would lead to few more double faults than normal. I learned to let the racquet do most of the work with a loose grip... although at times my serve would just sit up for my opponent to attack.
-Volleys: Volleys were generally simple. Just point and shoot. The racquets mass came in handy here... very solid. Although quick reaction volleys could be awkward. It's not nimble enough.
-Serve returns: When taking a shorter backswing, it was easy to redirect the pace of hard serves. Even chipping at returns was effective, something I found myself doing a lot of with the 310. Like volleys, anything requiring a quick, last second adjustment (ie: reacting to a kick serve) could be clumsy due to the weight.
Comments on racquet performance:
Power/Control- A nice blend of both, perhaps more on the side of control. Considering it's a 16x18 pattern, it's control and precision is very impressive. I had no problems going for the lines with the 310. It's power source comes more from it's plow-through. It was fairly easy to put away weaker balls when stepping into the court. I strung it with Confidential 16L thinking I needed to tame a 100 in racquet with a open 16x18, but that wasn't the case... I think I may restring with a livelier, thinner string next time.
Top Spin/Slice- With it's big sweet-spot and spin window spin was always on tap. I felt even when racquet head speed would lower due to it's weight, the 16x18 string pattern would still bite the ball to add rotation. Properly struck sliced shots were incredible... you could quickly turn defensive situations into offensive ones.
Comfort- 10 out of 10. Solinco Confidential can feel a little harsh on my PA, but no issues here. The racquets weight always won the collision with the ball. Harsh vibrations were kept at bay.
Feel- Both well connected and muted. It has more of a thud than a ping at contact.
Maneuverability- The Achilles Heel... at least for me. The 310 has some mass in the hoop. This weight can be disguised. If I was playing well, loose, confident and in form, the weight wasn't too much of an issue. Mainly because it was providing me with great power, feel, stability, and comfort. But if I was tired, tentative (tight) during match play or if I lost form, the 310's weight became very noticeable. It would start feeling clumsy at times.
Stability- 100% solid. Nothing to discuss here..
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
In many ways the 310 is the baby of a Pure Aero and Blade v7 16x19. It's a nice blend of power, spin, and precision... although more modern players frame than tweener. Within minutes of my first session, I quickly gelled with it and was able to hit freely without thinking too much of the racquet. After that first session, I was in that euphoric Holic honeymoon zone! But by the third and fourth sessions, where I played competitive doubles and singles the racquet's caveat arose... it's weight. It's a hidden type of weight. When I first held it I didn't necessarily notice it, even when just drilling. It felt well balanced, solid. But in match play, when things get tight.. it can become a bit cumbersome. A particular shot I would struggle with was the approach shot. I felt the mass of the racquet would push the ball long with the slightest of contact at times. Finesse shots, or cat and mouse points in doubles felt a bit awkward with head heavy balance as well... as of this writing I still have not gelled with it there. I want to make it clear that the issues I found with the 310 are not a racquet flaw... it's really more the user! Strong, competitive players could really do damage with this stick. I recommend this racquet to 4.5 players or higher. Or physically stronger 4.0's. I also think players who use a Head Gravity, Speed, or Prestige Pro or Blade 18x20 that are looking for more modern, spin friendly response but don't want to sacrifice stability and plow should look here! Don't think this is a switchable stick for me, but will keep trying to coax the best out of it. I hope my review adds to a healthy discussion of the Tour 100 (310)!
Many thanks TW & Prince!
mpournaras
Hall of Fame
Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P Review
String and tension used for test: Prince Vortex 16 at 52lbs. Grapplesnake Alpha 1.25 52lbs
Tennis experience/background: 4.0 male player. I prefer singles. No formal training at any point.
Describe your playing style: Righty, OHBH, all court player who likes to play aggressively the moment he is able. Don't mind being up at net
Current racquet/string setups: Angell 100 Custom. 11oz unstrung, 63 RA, 330 strung SW, strung with Alpha and other polys right around 50-52lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~12 hours
Groundstrokes: This racket is unbelievably stable considering its SW was a few points under spec. I had an issue whipping late groundstrokes... so I suppose that could be defined as sluggishness. Slices are easy to hit as well as routine groundstrokes. The most glaring characteristic that was also experienced by 2 friends that used it too was the low launch angle. I don't mind as I play a relatively flat game but it 100% took a moment to get used to. You really have to hit through the groundies 4/5
Serves: The same strengths and weaknesses were felt here. I struggled a bit on second serve as it just didn't haul ass through the air like the Angells. BUT!... The routine flat serves were super easy to hit and allowed you to really focus on placement and direction. I would say it was hard to dictate with serve using this which was a bit of a bummer as I consider serving one of my strengths. It would be hard to say it didn't cost me some big points. Like groundies, I really had to focus on hitting through the ball, which is a good habit regardless. 3/5
Volleys: The feel on this led to great volleys. Touch and power volleys were easy enough to hit. I like being up at net so this was comforting. I prefer to approach in singles than to be placed there in doubles and as long as I was up there on my own terms I was able to do what I needed. It is so stable and the feel even with full poly was out of this world. 5/5
Serve returns: Returns were good. It was a great start to a point to be able to control where and how the return got there. I found it really hard to indiscriminately swing out on it to crush winners but I think my game needs this control. I was never unsure where the ball was on the string bed. I really like the feet and power level of this beam shape and material. 4/5
Power/Control: I would place this medium high on the control power spectrum. [Control--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9--Power]. It had the perfect amount of power for a 100" 18-main racket. You probably aren't looking for a cannon if you are in this spec. The string spacing is wide for an 18x20 and that led to adequate power while being able to control it. I have played carious 18x20s over time so I felt at home. 5/5
Top Spin/Slice: Slice was excellent. The stability really did favors here. Top spin was adequate for my game. Easier to generate spin on my forehand. This was where Vortex 16 let me down the most. I just don't think It is a great shaped string. After having switched to Grapplesnake Alpha it all fell into place. 4/5
Comfort: This racquet is extremely comfortable! Comfortable muted. I think I could put a super stiff poly in here at a reasonable tension and have zero issues. This is also screaming for a gut-main hybrid. I cannot wait to try it eventually. I think this dances with the feel super well. Read below. If you are hitting a Pure Drive and have pain and want a little more control... this is a must demo! 5/5
Feel: The feel of the ATS 100P is comfortably muted. It felt like there was a light dampener on it at all times even when nude. I love it. It made a satisfying plonk and crack with full poly. I cannot tell where it is flexing but it FELT stable which inspired confidence. 5/5
Maneuverability: This was probably my main knock on this racket. It is not totally sluggish, but beside known maneuverable rackets it really shows. Maybe its a twistweight thing, but anything involving wrist before the hit really didn't work well here for me. Lots of rushed OHBH that just suffered and ended up in the net. Strung with overgrip and a few grams of lead to bring it up to 320ish strung SW grought the weight to 333g And it felt like it. I was looking forward to going down in weight but I feel like I am back right where I am used to. Its not ideal but not a deal breaker . 3/5
Stability: Unsurprisingly, this racquet is really stable (I fell like I have said this before?). The trade off for all my maneuverability woes seems to have paid dividends here. Rock solid on both sides for high and low balls. I cannot stress this enough... it is a moving brick wall! 5/5
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This racket really hits a sweet spot in the middle of its similarly spec'ed contemporaries. I would like to explore hybrids but that is a far off issue that will be fun and exploratory, not necessary. I do NOT like Prince's Resi-___ line of grips. I took mine off after the first hit and added a Diadem leather/synthetic base grip. I do not feel that this racket made me sacrifice any strong patterns that I like to play, but there were some strange question marks that could have come down to technique. Cross court forehands were sometimes straight into the net even if I felt like I got under it and that took the wind out of my game a few times. I really try not to blame results on rackets but this was hard to ignore. On the other hand... slice approaches then a touch volley were like playing on autopilot. You ALWAYS knew where volleys were going to go and I love that. I also love the paint. NOt just the sweet colors, but it appears to be really high quality.
PROS:
+ Stability
+ Comfort
+ Feel
+ Balance of Control/Power
NEUTRAL:
* Spin
* Paint/Cosmetics
NEGATIVE:
- Manuverability
I will take this largely positive list and keep playing with it. I do not believe there is more customizing that will help me, I will just need to adapt my strokes a bit and I think that is entirely possible. I think I will keep using it but maybe not for my main squeeze just yet! I am pretty happy in 100-inch rackets these days but it REALLY makes me want to try the ATS 98.
Thank you TW for the opportunity to test these new sticks!
I will post some pics tomorrow. Looks great with yellow strings
String and tension used for test: Prince Vortex 16 at 52lbs. Grapplesnake Alpha 1.25 52lbs
Tennis experience/background: 4.0 male player. I prefer singles. No formal training at any point.
Describe your playing style: Righty, OHBH, all court player who likes to play aggressively the moment he is able. Don't mind being up at net
Current racquet/string setups: Angell 100 Custom. 11oz unstrung, 63 RA, 330 strung SW, strung with Alpha and other polys right around 50-52lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~12 hours
Groundstrokes: This racket is unbelievably stable considering its SW was a few points under spec. I had an issue whipping late groundstrokes... so I suppose that could be defined as sluggishness. Slices are easy to hit as well as routine groundstrokes. The most glaring characteristic that was also experienced by 2 friends that used it too was the low launch angle. I don't mind as I play a relatively flat game but it 100% took a moment to get used to. You really have to hit through the groundies 4/5
Serves: The same strengths and weaknesses were felt here. I struggled a bit on second serve as it just didn't haul ass through the air like the Angells. BUT!... The routine flat serves were super easy to hit and allowed you to really focus on placement and direction. I would say it was hard to dictate with serve using this which was a bit of a bummer as I consider serving one of my strengths. It would be hard to say it didn't cost me some big points. Like groundies, I really had to focus on hitting through the ball, which is a good habit regardless. 3/5
Volleys: The feel on this led to great volleys. Touch and power volleys were easy enough to hit. I like being up at net so this was comforting. I prefer to approach in singles than to be placed there in doubles and as long as I was up there on my own terms I was able to do what I needed. It is so stable and the feel even with full poly was out of this world. 5/5
Serve returns: Returns were good. It was a great start to a point to be able to control where and how the return got there. I found it really hard to indiscriminately swing out on it to crush winners but I think my game needs this control. I was never unsure where the ball was on the string bed. I really like the feet and power level of this beam shape and material. 4/5
Power/Control: I would place this medium high on the control power spectrum. [Control--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9--Power]. It had the perfect amount of power for a 100" 18-main racket. You probably aren't looking for a cannon if you are in this spec. The string spacing is wide for an 18x20 and that led to adequate power while being able to control it. I have played carious 18x20s over time so I felt at home. 5/5
Top Spin/Slice: Slice was excellent. The stability really did favors here. Top spin was adequate for my game. Easier to generate spin on my forehand. This was where Vortex 16 let me down the most. I just don't think It is a great shaped string. After having switched to Grapplesnake Alpha it all fell into place. 4/5
Comfort: This racquet is extremely comfortable! Comfortable muted. I think I could put a super stiff poly in here at a reasonable tension and have zero issues. This is also screaming for a gut-main hybrid. I cannot wait to try it eventually. I think this dances with the feel super well. Read below. If you are hitting a Pure Drive and have pain and want a little more control... this is a must demo! 5/5
Feel: The feel of the ATS 100P is comfortably muted. It felt like there was a light dampener on it at all times even when nude. I love it. It made a satisfying plonk and crack with full poly. I cannot tell where it is flexing but it FELT stable which inspired confidence. 5/5
Maneuverability: This was probably my main knock on this racket. It is not totally sluggish, but beside known maneuverable rackets it really shows. Maybe its a twistweight thing, but anything involving wrist before the hit really didn't work well here for me. Lots of rushed OHBH that just suffered and ended up in the net. Strung with overgrip and a few grams of lead to bring it up to 320ish strung SW grought the weight to 333g And it felt like it. I was looking forward to going down in weight but I feel like I am back right where I am used to. Its not ideal but not a deal breaker . 3/5
Stability: Unsurprisingly, this racquet is really stable (I fell like I have said this before?). The trade off for all my maneuverability woes seems to have paid dividends here. Rock solid on both sides for high and low balls. I cannot stress this enough... it is a moving brick wall! 5/5
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This racket really hits a sweet spot in the middle of its similarly spec'ed contemporaries. I would like to explore hybrids but that is a far off issue that will be fun and exploratory, not necessary. I do NOT like Prince's Resi-___ line of grips. I took mine off after the first hit and added a Diadem leather/synthetic base grip. I do not feel that this racket made me sacrifice any strong patterns that I like to play, but there were some strange question marks that could have come down to technique. Cross court forehands were sometimes straight into the net even if I felt like I got under it and that took the wind out of my game a few times. I really try not to blame results on rackets but this was hard to ignore. On the other hand... slice approaches then a touch volley were like playing on autopilot. You ALWAYS knew where volleys were going to go and I love that. I also love the paint. NOt just the sweet colors, but it appears to be really high quality.
PROS:
+ Stability
+ Comfort
+ Feel
+ Balance of Control/Power
NEUTRAL:
* Spin
* Paint/Cosmetics
NEGATIVE:
- Manuverability
I will take this largely positive list and keep playing with it. I do not believe there is more customizing that will help me, I will just need to adapt my strokes a bit and I think that is entirely possible. I think I will keep using it but maybe not for my main squeeze just yet! I am pretty happy in 100-inch rackets these days but it REALLY makes me want to try the ATS 98.
Thank you TW for the opportunity to test these new sticks!
I will post some pics tomorrow. Looks great with yellow strings
Happi
Hall of Fame
Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P Review
String and tension used for test: Prince Vortex 16 at 52lbs. Grapplesnake Alpha 1.25 52lbs
Tennis experience/background: 4.0 male player. I prefer singles. No formal training at any point.
Describe your playing style: Righty, OHBH, all court player who likes to play aggressively the moment he is able. Don't mind being up at net
Current racquet/string setups: Angell 100 Custom. 11oz unstrung, 63 RA, 330 strung SW, strung with Alpha and other polys right around 50-52lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~12 hours
Groundstrokes: This racket is unbelievably stable considering its SW was a few points under spec. I had an issue whipping late groundstrokes... so I suppose that could be defined as sluggishness. Slices are easy to hit as well as routine groundstrokes. The most glaring characteristic that was also experienced by 2 friends that used it too was the low launch angle. I don't mind as I play a relatively flat game but it 100% took a moment to get used to. You really have to hit through the groundies 4/5
Serves: The same strengths and weaknesses were felt here. I struggled a bit on second serve as it just didn't haul ass through the air like the Angells. BUT!... The routine flat serves were super easy to hit and allowed you to really focus on placement and direction. I would say it was hard to dictate with serve using this which was a bit of a bummer as I consider serving one of my strengths. It would be hard to say it didn't cost me some big points. Like groundies, I really had to focus on hitting through the ball, which is a good habit regardless. 3/5
Volleys: The feel on this led to great volleys. Touch and power volleys were easy enough to hit. I like being up at net so this was comforting. I prefer to approach in singles than to be placed there in doubles and as long as I was up there on my own terms I was able to do what I needed. It is so stable and the feel even with full poly was out of this world. 5/5
Serve returns: Returns were good. It was a great start to a point to be able to control where and how the return got there. I found it really hard to indiscriminately swing out on it to crush winners but I think my game needs this control. I was never unsure where the ball was on the string bed. I really like the feet and power level of this beam shape and material. 4/5
Power/Control: I would place this medium high on the control power spectrum. [Control--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9--Power]. It had the perfect amount of power for a 100" 18-main racket. You probably aren't looking for a cannon if you are in this spec. The string spacing is wide for an 18x20 and that led to adequate power while being able to control it. I have played carious 18x20s over time so I felt at home. 5/5
Top Spin/Slice: Slice was excellent. The stability really did favors here. Top spin was adequate for my game. Easier to generate spin on my forehand. This was where Vortex 16 let me down the most. I just don't think It is a great shaped string. After having switched to Grapplesnake Alpha it all fell into place. 4/5
Comfort: This racquet is extremely comfortable! Comfortable muted. I think I could put a super stiff poly in here at a reasonable tension and have zero issues. This is also screaming for a gut-main hybrid. I cannot wait to try it eventually. I think this dances with the feel super well. Read below. If you are hitting a Pure Drive and have pain and want a little more control... this is a must demo! 5/5
Feel: The feel of the ATS 100P is comfortably muted. It felt like there was a light dampener on it at all times even when nude. I love it. It made a satisfying plonk and crack with full poly. I cannot tell where it is flexing but it FELT stable which inspired confidence. 5/5
Maneuverability: This was probably my main knock on this racket. It is not totally sluggish, but beside known maneuverable rackets it really shows. Maybe its a twistweight thing, but anything involving wrist before the hit really didn't work well here for me. Lots of rushed OHBH that just suffered and ended up in the net. Strung with overgrip and a few grams of lead to bring it up to 320ish strung SW grought the weight to 333g And it felt like it. I was looking forward to going down in weight but I feel like I am back right where I am used to. Its not ideal but not a deal breaker . 3/5
Stability: Unsurprisingly, this racquet is really stable (I fell like I have said this before?). The trade off for all my maneuverability woes seems to have paid dividends here. Rock solid on both sides for high and low balls. I cannot stress this enough... it is a moving brick wall! 5/5
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This racket really hits a sweet spot in the middle of its similarly spec'ed contemporaries. I would like to explore hybrids but that is a far off issue that will be fun and exploratory, not necessary. I do NOT like Prince's Resi-___ line of grips. I took mine off after the first hit and added a Diadem leather/synthetic base grip. I do not feel that this racket made me sacrifice any strong patterns that I like to play, but there were some strange question marks that could have come down to technique. Cross court forehands were sometimes straight into the net even if I felt like I got under it and that took the wind out of my game a few times. I really try not to blame results on rackets but this was hard to ignore. On the other hand... slice approaches then a touch volley were like playing on autopilot. You ALWAYS knew where volleys were going to go and I love that. I also love the paint. NOt just the sweet colors, but it appears to be really high quality.
PROS:
+ Stability
+ Comfort
+ Feel
+ Balance of Control/Power
NEUTRAL:
* Spin
* Paint/Cosmetics
NEGATIVE:
- Manuverability
I will take this largely positive list and keep playing with it. I do not believe there is more customizing that will help me, I will just need to adapt my strokes a bit and I think that is entirely possible. I think I will keep using it but maybe not for my main squeeze just yet! I am pretty happy in 100-inch rackets these days but it REALLY makes me want to try the ATS 98.
Thank you TW for the opportunity to test these new sticks!
I will post some pics tomorrow. Looks great with yellow strings
Great review
just what I was looking for. I also play TC100 RA63, how would you compare the two racquets ? Thanks.stapletonj
Hall of Fame
At my age......... I need a grandson to do something like that......
photoshop......weren't those those little kiosks where we'd drop off our rolls of brownie instamatic shots and get the pictures back a week later?
mpournaras
Hall of Fame
Same ball results... but different paths if that makes sense?Great review
The Angell is the fastest 330 SW I have ever used. With that wide open 16/19 it somehow is not a rocket launcher and I just get stupid heavy balls. But I am swinging harder. With the Prince 100P the ball lands in the EXACT same spot... but easier albeit with a less substantial trajectory. I feel like I could play longer with the Prince but that 330 SW forehand pound with the Angell is addicting. With a OHBH though you can find yourself in hot water pretty quickly if you're tired and swinging 33 0SW around. I could happily play sets and tournaments with either.
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DUROC
Professional
so I played with both the 1st and 2nd Gen 100P’s………I had never hit with the 100 (310) before outside of a few quick hits.
So I cannot honestly compare the 2019 version to this one……..but in reading other wrote ups I get the feeling the 2022 version a bit faster and more maneuverable.
TennisHound
Legend
Why did it take Prince so long to make the 98? Smh
NguyenieThePoo
New User
The Tour felt more maneuverable and whippy. The Blade felt noticeably softer on ground strokes, but was slower all around. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Tour if you're considering the Blade.
More whippy for real? I thought blade v8 has lower swingweight & more thinner beam?
How about control? Also, Blades has very good control that i don’t got from Speed MP & ezone 100 (22)
jmacdaununder2
Legend
Presumably cost and availability of molds.
NguyenieThePoo
New User
I want to say that it's because the Tour 98 is more headlight than the Blade is, but I think it has more to do with how the weight is distributed. Someone smarter than me can probably explain it better.
Control probably depends on the individual also. I swing more confidently with the Tour 98, so I feel more control than the Blade. YMMV. For what it's worth, I also find the Pro Staff 97 v13 faster through the air and easier to play with than the Blade v8. I'm sure someone will come on here and say there's something wrong with me if the PS is easier to play than the Blade.
TennisHound
Legend
Maybe. The same could be asked of Babolat- why did it take them so long to make a 98?
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