Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Prince Phantom 2024

[codonnell]

I think the perceived size difference may be due due to the new resi tex grips. I have princes in size 3 from 2009, 2012, and 2022, and I did not find a noticeable difference when the same replacement grip was used.

That makes complete sense, some brands mess around with the thickness of the replacement grips not necessarily the pallet. If they still sell the older grips you may want to pick up a quite a few incase they discontinue them! I still miss having Babolat skin feel as an option sometimes.

 

[dgoran]

@dgoran you are a good reviewer of feel. I know you loved the p97. Where does this new 18x20 100 rank? I was let down by my gravity pro auxetic feel after hitting with the prestige classic 2.0. It felt pretty dead and muted in comparison. Where would you put this prince?

Since you have the new prestige pro I’m curious how it compares to the prince. The pc 2.0 feel has blown my mind and I want something close to that in a larger head size.

After initial honeymoon and more court time I would still take prestige pro 18x20 or 16x19 over 100x. I’ll post the review in the next day or so but gist of it is that it felt somewhat disconnected and can get lost in the racquet head and the ginormous sweet spot. Prestige pro gives more feedback but it’s tiny bit harder to use.

 

[Power Player]

After initial honeymoon and more court time I would still take prestige pro 18x20 or 16x19 over 100x. I’ll post the review in the next day or so but gist of it is that it felt somewhat disconnected and can get lost in the racquet head and the ginormous sweet spot. Prestige pro gives more feedback but it’s tiny bit harder to use.

Thanks, I ended up going with the Prestige Pro so it's nice to read that, haha.

For a 100 size, I am really liking the Pro Staff X. It has a really nice sweet spot and easy power/spin.

 

[loosegroove]

Phantom 100X 305 Playtest

String and tension used for test: Solinco Hyper G Round 17 45lbs

Tennis experience/background: 4.5 league player in my mid 40s. Played a bit as a kid and high school varsity, revisited the sport in my early 30s.

Describe your playing style: Grinding baseliner, though I’ve been playing more dubs than singles, and I’m aggressive at net once I’m up there. Compact flat two-handed backhand, with a bigger semi-western forehand.

Current racquet/string setups: Previous Prince Phantom 100X 305 with Solinco Hyper G Round

How many hours did you play with the racquet?: 12

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:

-Groundstrokes: The new 100X 305 picks up where the last version left off, so it came as no surprise that I felt right at home on the baseline with it after a brief adjustment period. It swings nice and smoothly, with its specs aligning with my personal preferences. The racket feels a bit crisper and more solid than the previous version, while still remaining very plush and comfortable, albeit a bit less forgiving outside of the sweet spot. There was a slight bump up in power, and the ball feels like it’s in and out of the string bed a touch faster, though it’s still a relatively lower powered stick. And despite being 100” and having a 16x18 pattern, the string bed isn’t as open as one might assume, offering a predictable launch angle that isn’t too extremely high. It was easy to keep the racket head speed up and stay consistent hitting heavier topspin camped out at the baseline, but I also felt confident going for my shots when the opportunity presented itself.

-Serves: Serves were probably the biggest weakness of original Phantom Pro 100, with much of the power feeling like it was being zapped by the thin flexible frame. With the slight increases in beam width and stiffness, serving has gotten incrementally better each generation, though it’s still no cannon. However it swings effortlessly over head, offering a consistent response and excelling at spin serves. I particularly enjoyed the slice out wide on the deuce side.

-Volleys: The Phantom 100x 305 felt very nimble at net; great for quick exchanges. Plus the round 100” head gives a little extra margin. Great control on volleys, with decent enough punch and nice touch. I also enjoyed its maneuverability on overheads.

-Serve returns: I really enjoy this racket on returns. It swings fast, and offers the spin and control necessary to help neutralize big serves and get the ball back in play. I also felt comfortable taking bigger cuts off of second serves and taking the offensive. It also felt stable and controlled on chip returns.

Comments on racquet performance in each area:

-Power: The power of this racket remains on the lower end of the spectrum with its thin beam and low RA. However its totally adequate, and allows you to swing big and supply your own power. And I do prefer round polys with a little more pop in this racket, to provide a little more drive and penetration through the court, instead of shaped offerings. With that said power has been incrementally increased in my opinion, offering a little easier depth and pace.

-Control: Initially I was hitting a little long with this racket coming from the previous version, but after a quick adjustment I thought control was quite good. I was able to find my range, without a fear of overhitting, and directional control remained fairly pin point.

-Top Spin: With a headlight balance, thin beam, and reasonable swingweight, this frame is quite whippy. Combine that with the open string pattern and lowish power, and you have a great recipe for a topspin friendly frame. My game is built around grinding using my semi-western forehand, and this frame suits me quite well. It’s also great for taking the ball early and creating short angles out wide. I think I may have found it a little easier to roll off-pace heavy topspin shots using the previous version, as it gave me an increased sense of dwell time.

-Slice: Slice may be the most unexpected strength of this racket. The crisper and more solid response of the frame deliver more biting slices that don’t float on me as much. Similarly I love it for squash shots on the forehand side when pulled wide.

-Comfort: Comfort remains very high on the Phantom 100X 305, one of the most plush frames out there. It speaks volumes that I can comfortably play a full bed of poly without flaring up elbow or wrist issues in this middle-aged body. Though maybe not quite as comfortable as the previous versions, and a little more “jarring” outside of the sweet spot.

-Feel: Personally I really love the feel of this racket. A little crisper, stiffer, and more direct than the previous version while still feeling quite plush. Granted I used to play with the super flexible and ported EXO3 Tour 100, and that was like hitting with a foam pillow, so I don’t mind dampened. However I really like the new layup, though it won’t suit those seeking the unique ultra buttery feel of the original Phantom Pro 100.

-Maneuverability: The racket feels very maneuverable for every facet on the court: groundstrokes, returns, volleys, serves, reaction shots. I love the headlight balance, static weight of 305, and strung swingweight in the low/mid 320s. It offers enough mass for my level, while being very manageable. Plus with the thin beam it really just cuts through the air.

-Stability: Given its specs, the Phantom 100X offers good stability and a slight boost from the previous version. It felt solid hitting against my 5.0 buddy, and actually my old 100X then felt a little anemic when I switched back. Also you’re able to create your own “stability” because its easy to keep racket head speed up.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

I was a little uncertain after my first hit, but after dialing things in, I’m quite happy with the camo 100X 305. I’ve mentioned before wishing for a Phantom 100X meets Tour 100 310, essentially wanting the round head shape, svelte maneuverability, and consistency of the Phantom, with some of the solidness, stiffness, and extra power of the Tour 100. And I think the latest Phantom kind of fulfills that criteria. I might be a little less consistent with the new Phantom than the previous version at the moment, but I’ve been using the previous version for years. So I think I’m making the switch!

I also think the new Phantom is more accessible to the masses these days. The original Phantom Pro 100 was so thin and flexible with a pronounced flutter in the upper hoop. Now the Phantom is a bit more stable and modern feeling, and while its stiffness has crept up, other rackets such as the Blades, Vcores, Percepts, Speeds etc have come down, which I believe really should put the Phantoms in the conversation for many players seeking out a new racket. Plus priced at $199 (or only $139 during the current sale), they offer a tremendous value! And while I didn’t like the camo at all when I first saw pics, the paintjob has grown on me in person (though the grip color remains heinous). Great playtest. Happy to be a part of it. Thanks.

 

[Getting_Closer]

My playtest for Phantom 100*305
Tennis experience/background:
My dynamic rating on the TennisRecord.com is 4.03 at the moment, primarily play USTA Men’s 4.0 double. I grew up as a soccer player. In early 30’s, I began to play tennis, and have kept playing since then. I am 52 now.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Solid baseline swings to create opportunities to come to net for kill whenever possible.

Current racquet/string setups:
PP100P, customized to 12.3oz with lead tapes, 6 head light. My usual string setup is main natural guts at 52pd, signum pro poly plasma 16L at 49pd

How many hours did you play with the racquet?

The racket came with full bed poly. I played for 4 hours and cut out. I then customized the racket to my liking, and strung it with my usual set up, guts hybrid. I played another 14hrs with the modified racket. All the players that I played with for this playtest were about my level, rating between 3.97 and 4.11.


Unmodified vs. modified:
Both. Unmodified racket is light for me. Two 4inch of lead tapes on each side of beam, and 8 inch of lead tape near the butt. I also changed it to leather grid.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groeundstroks: I played it with the poly that came with it. By feeling it, I think it might have strung around 53 to 55. I decided to play it at its raw form, knowing it was much lighter to my liking.

Unmodified: There is a sweet spot at the center of string bed, not very big, but truly sweet when the ball hits that location. The racket felt solid and the ball flies back with easy effort. When the ball hits anywhere else, I immediately feel the torque, very uncomfortable and unfamiliar to me as none of my racket feels this way. The string bed is felt like the surface of the Moon, not any two spots feel the same. If you hit the ball at its centerline, you will get direct response, further from the sweet spot, more dead it feels. If you hit off the center, you will need to control your hand to resist the twisting and rotating of the racket, causing the ball to spray. My one-handed back hand suffered tremendously, as it requires nearly perfect timing for me to hit with sweet spot. Any shots that did not hit the sweet spot felt weak and spraying.

Modified: after customization, the racket turned into a beast. The string bed evens out. The vibration and torque are significantly reduced. With heavier setting and head light, I can swing out fully and felt like my old reliable racket. Nevertheless, I unconsciously still don’t trust it when it comes to my backhand swing. I suppose I always have an issue with the timing of my backhand, and this racket is not really offering additional help on this department.

-Serves: My first serve is more of punching, aiming at T or at corner with ball speed around 90 to 95 miles. My second serve is more of kick.

The unmodified racket was actually not bad for the serve as I was able to hit the ball near the sweet spot more often than not. Although It was not very powerful, with precision, I could make the opponent to stretch quite a bit. Off center serves were all under the net. I had a bit difficulty with kick serve, as the power dropped quite significantly. I was at mercy of my opponent for the second serve.

After modification, the racket is alive. I guess the guts string may contribute to some of the improvement. It become more powerful with precision. The kick serve is about shoulder high with pace, neutralize the opponent.


-Volleys:

Unmodified racket literarily killed my play style. The string bed felt like uneven response. I constantly felt like the racket was going to fly out from my hand. At the net, I was being pushed left and right. I think this is where I began to feel my elbow sore.

Modified: the issues are solved

Bottom line is that the beam of this racket in its stock form is not thick enough or sturdy enough to stabilize when hitting the ball.


-Serve returns:

Unmodified racket: I never felt sore with my usual set up, but I felt the sore after playing this racket for two hours. I was being pushed as the racket was too light, causing me to swing hard than needed. The arm was taking the hits.

Modified: I was able to return the balls with speed and placement, cutting time short for the opponent to response.


Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- In its original form, it lacks power and control. The only time I felt the balance of power and control was when the ball hits the sweet spot, which is by no mean big.

After modification, the racket still tends to be lack of power, but this is where the guts shine. The set up is perfect for me as I am able to seamlessly transit between this racket and my usual racket.

Top Spin/Slice- Decent top spin, but great at slice. I believe it is mostly due to the thin beam. After modification, the slice is even more floating and penetrating, It might be the best part about this racket.

Comfort-
Unmodified: I would not describe the racket to be comfortable, even its stiffness was low. The feeling of the racket trying to rotate out of your hand is not considered to be comfort.

After Modification, it just feels like my pp100p, soft and stable.


Feel-

Unmodified: hard to say, since the off-center shots are spraying. It felt almost like a pinwheel in my hand… (I might be exaggerating here)

Modified, solid, I was able to drop the ball where I wanted, and the valley can be deadly.


Maneuverability- Whether unmodified or modified, I can swing this racket with ease. It just cut through air with no resistance. After the modification, it is even more head light. At net, it is like blade, you could always hear the whistle sound as it cuts through



Stability- Unmodified, no stability here. The torque caused my elbow sore after playing.

Modified, a great racket with solid feel.


General reaction/comments on overall performance:
In its stock form, I would say it is good for level at 3.5, assuming no one hit hard ball at you. The beam is just too thin and lack of support. The sweet spot is small but truly sweet. The off-center shots are not easy to control, as it tends to twist in your hand. I developed sore elbow after two outings and decided to cut it out.

After the modification, I feel seamless transition from this racket to my current PP100P, also customized, If you are hard hitter, you need to customize this racket. The changes before and after the modification is quite significant. This Phantom 100*305 has a potential, and it just needs modified depending on your play style.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, Tenniswarehouse.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

FEDK review: Prince Phantom 100 18x20 320g

String and tension used for test:

Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25 @50#
Solinco Hyper G Soft 1.20 @48#
Prince Tour XP 17 @ 45#

Tennis experience/background:

I have always been into racquets. I used to be a product tester for the ski industry and I have always been interested in new gear. I grew up playing tennis for fun, went to a bunch of camps, nothing too serious. Took soccer, baseball and snowsports more seriously. As an “adult”, became daily tennis bum/raging racaholic from 2008-2017. Job promotion/baby/pandemic took me out of the game for a few years, started playing 3-4x a week again in 2022. I like to play in the 4.25 (contains 4.0-4.5 players) section of my local middle aged dad league. I am 46 yo, 5 foot 11 195#.

Describe your playing style:

Quintessential middle aged Federer worshipper with a shaky backhand but a beautiful head of hair. I have very consistent topspin shots and I generally grind out matches and rely on my overall sportiness rather than my tennis IQ, although recently I am experimenting with a more aggressive approach. I have a steady slice, and a reliable forehand. I have a good serve for my level and I can jam people with pace or slide one out wide. The limiting factors on my game are fitness, modern fatherhood and fitness. I have seen rec matches pivot tragically based on potty training schedules.


Current racquet/string setups:
HEAD Graphene Prestige MP 18x20 320g 95 si (2015) Tier One Black Knight @ 44#

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I mained this racquet for three weeks straight playing almost every day, drills and practice sets (20+ hours)

-Groundstrokes:
This racquet has a huge spin window with a knife thin beam and a 100 inch head, comparable to an Agassi Radical or a POG. You can attack the ball with very steep grips, especially on sliced shots. If you need to yank up on a ball and roll it high for more time it is easy to do, much easier than with my HEAD GPMP. The tight pattern and high static weight also allows you to plow through high balls, block and counterpunch pace. The soft flex keeps the ball in. I feel like my consistency went through the roof with this frame, the soft flex seemed to keep my balls in the court and the huge sweetspot helped me short hop and defend my chickenwing OHBH. I’ll give it a 9/10. Sliced shots are dirty and easier to pull off on the run. My CC forehand has more stick and depth with this racquet, I have no idea why.

-Serves:
With older generations of this frame and similar frames like the Radical OS I have had trouble really gassing up my serve. This frame did not have that problem and I could pop a flat serve in there as hard as I can with any racquet. The aerodynamics of this stick and the super headlight balance made it easy to pronate. My out wide slice to the deuce court was very reliable. My kick way out and short box to the AD side was also working nicely. I almost never had to hit flat serves with this racquet because my spin serves were getting the job done so efficiently. But that made the flatty a great change up, straight to the body. Another 9/10.

-Volleys:
10/10 the best I’ve ever volleyed. Touch volleys for days. I won so many games of 21 with crazy stop volleys. So maneuverable, yet solid, with a pillow touch. I actually was thinking about getting a Pat Rafter tattoo after volleying with this thing. I decided to just name the racquet “Pat”. SICK!

-Serve returns:
Heavy enough to chip, light and maneuverable enough to stand back and rip. I like to chip my returns, but I also had good success hanging back and taking my cuts. I can come over the ball on my BH return as well (can be difficult with some smaller headed racquets.) I like the versatility of having a huge forgiving landing pad for the chip return or being able to back up and try to smoke one. I got a lot of breaks. 9/10.

Power/Control-
This racquet gives great access to depth and control is very very high, maybe only eclipsed by frames in the 98 inch 18x20 layout. For me this frame is better than the Speed Pro and the Gravity Pro (two main competitors). If I had to knock this racquet it is that the soft feel can make you feel like your shots are slightly NERFed. I did notice more balls coming back compared to say a Pure Strike 98. But then again my control and consistency is so much better with this frame that I win way more points. Also, throughout the playtest I dropped tension to 45# in a poly full bed and I feel I could go lower. My next stringjob will be triax mains and poly crosses just to see if I can juice the flat ball a teeny bit more.

Top Spin/Slice-
This frame has easy access to topspin when you need to loop a shot to get you back in the point (not all 18x20 is this forgiving). Topspin is an 8/10, it’s not an extreme MP where you are just making violent topspin, but you can kick the ball up and out of your opponents strike zone with ease. Slice is 10/10, especially on the scramble drill, I feel like I can always get on the edge of the ball and create a funky shot. The weight also helps pull down high balls with the slice BH or change the pace/direction of a shot mid rally. Again, the spin window is huge on this frame, you can CARVE your shots.

Comfort-
Insanely comfortable. It has the pillow feel of an MG Radical. I played many many days in a row with this frame with full poly and I’m 46 and sloppy. I am also prone to shanking near the tip on some shots. I feel no discomfort even after long hitting sessions.

Feel-
This frame has a very soft, cushioned ride. The 59 RA is reminiscent of old school Radical OS. When A/Bing this racquet against the Babolat Pure Strike 98, I just couldn’t wait to pick it back up again. Where the feel really stood out for me was at the net. I made some volleys that I could not believe. It felt like a broken-in baseball glove.

Maneuverability-
This is a standout feature of this frame. At 12pts HL and 320g it is a heavy racquet that swings light. This goes against the trend of light racquets that swing heavy. For my game, this way is much better. The thin beam feels so good in the hand and the low balance point just makes it so easy to accelerate through the OHBH. I’ll probably never play below 320g again.

Stability-
The soft feel and wide racquet face make the frame feel super stable. They tweaked this formula because the old ones (exo3) had some flutter. This one just felt rock solid to me. One shot that I really enjoyed with this frame was half volleys and short hops. This frame was so stable I felt like I could take the ball super early. Scoops and flicks off the bounce created some amazing shots.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I didn’t customize this frame at all. It felt ready to grip and rip and played absolutely perfect for my game. It simultaneously felt like a racquet that I grew up playing with but also totally modern and ready to drag my opponent into a moonball war of attrition. I feel like I can hit any shot with this racquet and it also encourages creative play with big angles, slices, and showboat volleys. I can be a wall or go for big flat shots. So versatile.
It is just as fun to play with as a classic frame, but I also feel like it has the forgiveness to be a great frame for match play. If I had to play a match tomorrow, I’d be reaching for this one. It made me realize that it is time to let go of my 95 18x20 Prestige MP. I did the research and compared my results side by side, it’s not even close. I am a much better player with this Phantom. It’s a very confidence inspiring frame and will be my QB1 going forward.
I don’t hate the camo paint, I actually wish it was a little more obnoxious just so it would stand out a bit more. But I really don’t care because the racquet plays so well. Definitely getting a few more, the TW pricing is outrageous. I am so happy to see Prince is making quality sticks again, I absolutely loved them growing up. More Prince!

Thank you TW it is an honor to be a part of this community!

 

[dgoran]

String and tension used for test: Prince XC

Tennis experience/background:
I have been playing for over 30 years. I started tennis at age 5 but switched to basketball at age 12. Basketball became my main sport, and I played it both in Europe as a junior and in college in the US. At age 20, I picked up tennis again and fell back in love with it. I used to play 4-5 days per week and participated in most of the 4.0 to 5.5 leagues in Orlando, FL. However, due to life's demands, I now have less time to play and am fortunate if I can play once a week or every two weeks.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): 44 yo one handed backhand with pretty good serve as my main weapon although my forehand is my stronger side I do love one handed backhand more as a shot. I can slice on that side very effectively as well if I can’t find the backhand that day.

Current racquet/string setups: My current racquet and string setups include the Blade 98 v9 and Prestige Pro 98, which are in my regular rotation. However, I am most definitely a racquetholic, owning over 20 racquets that I love to bring out for fun hits. Testing racquets is a hobby of mine, and I try out most new models as they hit the market out of sheer curiosity.

Traditionally, I have gravitated towards flexible, soft racquets with an 18x20 string pattern, such as the Pro Tour 630, older Radicals, and Prestige Classic. However, I also enjoy hitting with modern racquets every now and then, as they are fun to play with (e.g., Extremes, Pure Drives, Aeros, etc.).

These days, the new Blade 98 v9 is my top choice. It provides the perfect blend of soft and firm, being not too soft to be taxing and having a firm yet not overly stiff feel to provide some pop.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
10hrs

Comments on racquet performance for Prince 100x 18x20

-Groundstrokes:
The 100x 18x20 is one of those racquets where groundstrokes come effortlessly. The sweet spot feels huge, comparable to, if not bigger than, the Gravity Pro 18x20. This racquet reminds me of the Gravity Pro but with a more usable stock balance. Unlike the Gravity Pro, the 100x 18x20 weighs 320g unstrung, which is 10g heavier. However, it didn't feel that heavy to swing initially, likely due to its rounded thin beam construction that slices through the air and its 12 pts headlight balance. It also provides a heavy ball.

However, the combination of weight and flex did tire me faster than other racquets. While it cuts through the air quickly, it somehow used more of my energy over time.

The downside I found with this racquet is that it feels somewhat disconnected; you don't feel much of what's going on in the string bed. When you swing and hit, it's almost automatic, but I couldn't tell where on the racquet face I made contact. One of my hitting partners commented that he felt the throat when hitting. When I asked him what he meant, he said he felt nothing above the throat and it felt like swinging and hitting with just the throat. This description resonated with me. Due to its soft construction, huge sweet spot, and filtering materials, the racquet felt a bit too disconnected for my liking.

-Serves:
I love serving, as it is how I win the majority of my points, and I always say I live and die on the court with my serve. Serving with the Prince 100x 18x20 was outstanding, with little to worry about. The sweet spot ensured that mishits were rare, and the 100 square inches provided plenty of surface to perform any type of serve. Kicking it out wide or slicing was super easy, and even a hard flat serve was effective for such a flexible racquet, as it provided plenty of static weight behind the ball.

However, I did notice that I would get tired faster using the 100x 18x20. This is the downside of a relatively heavy stick by today's standards, at 344 grams strung with an overgrip and strings. The static weight, coupled with the flexible 59-60 RA, meant that one needs to be strong to serve with this racquet for 2-3 sets. At 44 years old and unable to play every day, I found that I wasn't strong enough to serve with it for prolonged periods, despite how fantastic it felt.

These days, I notice that this doesn't happen with 305-310 gram racquets, such as the Blades, Ezones, and Strikes. My Prestige Pros are also at 310 grams, so that seems to be my limit these days.

-Volleys:
Volleys are super stable and another easy stroke with the 100x 18x20. Like with ground-strokes and serves, it's point and shoot. At 12 points head light, I had no issues maneuvering and getting it in place, and it's stable enough to handle any return of serve if you're serving and volleying.

-Serve returns:
This stick provided good, but not excellent, return of serve. I often got lost in the string bed. Slice returns didn’t come out penetrating, and regular middle-of-the-road returns and blocks tended to pop up and float. Aggressive returns had great pop, but I never fully trusted them because I didn’t feel how I hit the ball. It looked great on the other side, but I lacked feedback on my end.

Power/Control-
The power was good, on par with or perhaps a bit more than what you put into it. Of course, this is relative to the type of racquet. For a thin beam, flexible, heavy racquet, it had pretty good pop on ground-strokes. On serves, it felt powerful until I got too tired to continue. Its power level is on par with, if not higher than, the Gravity Pro and about two notches below the Prestige Pro.

Top Spin/Slice-
Slices were outstanding. This was my go-to shot on the backhand side, as I couldn't reliably find my backhand due to the massive racquet face, which made me feel lost during topspin strokes. However, slicing felt like a cheat code.

Comfort-
Outstanding comfort. It felt like this is exactly why this stick was built. In my opinion, this is a racquet for the aging player who craves a thin Prestige Classic-like throat but has wrist, elbow, or arm problems and requires less feedback to continue playing pain-free.

Feel-
Feel is one of those tricky, subjective topics. Some people equate it with a soft RA rating, while others prefer feedback, vibration, and some form of communication from the racquet. This racquet is soft and feels good to hit with; however, it filters out tiny bit too much for my taste.

Maneuverability-
It is super maneuverable due to its head-light balance. Even though it weighs 320 grams, it’s surprisingly easy to handle. With its old-school balance, you can quickly position it for an effective volley, a last-minute flick, or a squash shot to bail you out.

Stability-
This racquet is stable. At 320 grams and 12 points head light, it offers a perfect recipe for stability, in my opinion. It has a decent amount of weight distributed around the hoop, so I never felt the need to add any lead tape to the head. On all groundstrokes, it doesn't wobble—it's point and shoot. The stability is also great on volleys and serves.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I feel that this racquet is easy to hit with, provided you are fit and accustomed to heavier racquets. Every racquet is designed with a specific purpose, offering certain advantages while sacrificing others. Like the game of tennis, racquet design is a game of compromise. This racquet provides outstanding comfort and makes ground-strokes incredibly easy to execute, but it filters out a lot of feedback. It requires you to be an advanced, strong, and fit player.

I couldn't quite pinpoint why, but it tired me out more than, say, the Rafa Origin, which on paper should be a more demanding racquet. I attribute this to the racquet's flex profile and perhaps the lack of raw feedback, which may cause me to put in more effort than necessary since there's no "speedometer" included in this 100x 18x20 package.

 

[mixtape]

2024 Prince Phantom 100P Playtest:

String and tension used for test: Gosen OGSM 17g mains and Prince Syn Gut 17g crosses, both at 53lbs.

Tennis experience/background: 3 years of High School Tennis, a couple years in Junior League Tennis and USTA matches, and now mostly rec pick up games with locals and friends the last 30+ years. I've been told I'm a 3.5 NTRP with brief moments of 4.5 greatness. That's sad. lol

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Singles baseliner and counter puncher in doubles.

Current racquet/string setups: Prince Phantom Pro 100P (1st Gen) w/full bed Gosen OGSM 17g at 53lbs.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? Around 15 hours.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: The racquet felt very similar to the previous 2 generations and the thin beam still makes it easy to swing fast. Even though the 16x18 pattern wouldn't be ideal for a flat hitter like myself, the lower part of the string pattern is dense enough that I could hit and direct my forehand and backhand shots with power and low net clearance. If I needed to hit deep, with a slight swing adjustment, I can hit a good amount of spin that it would dip near the baseline. In stock form, it's not head light enough for me and lacks the whippiness I crave, but that can be easily tuned that with a leather grip and/or weight in the handle. Hitting backhand slices was really the highlight of all the ground strokes. I can take a nice cut and the 100P stays stable and imparts enough underspin that the ball would stay nice and low.

-Serves: The 100P is low powered so I didn't have any explosive wide flat serves, but I had enough power to my liking when serving down the T. Again, the thin beam makes it easy to swing, so I was able to get my kick serves to arch over the net with some pace. Simply lowering string tensions or using a multi can easily increase power to serves. I didn't have any real big issues serving with the 100P. When I put some thought on what type of serve I'm going to hit with the right swing speed, I could easily get the racquet to do what I want it to do.

-Volleys: The racquet is solid at the net. It can absorb pace well and is comfortable. Half volleys were effortless. The feel is good that I can hit a few nice drop shot volleys. Good stability on volleys that I had to stretch for. I'm not always comfortable at the net, but when I had to head towards the net, I was confident enough to know I can stand my ground and try to win the point.

-Serve return: This was my favorite part of the playtest. Surpisingly, I was winning a lot more points against good servers. On the deuce side, serves that were pulling me wide I could get the racquet out and I could block back with a little underspin slice and the racquet remained stable. Serves that were going down the middle I could easily block back or take early on the rise and redirect back with enough pace. On the ad side, serves that would swing me out wide I can step into it early and roll my two hand back hand at a sharper angle or hit a nice slice backhand. The racquet did a lot of good things for me.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- Like the previous generations, this 3rd gen 100P is low powered. This racquet doesn't have much free power like other stiffer racquets like my Warrior 107 or CTS Approach. Although, I feel it's enough for me when I created my own power and hit some winners. That made the feeling very rewarding. For control, it's definitely not a point and shoot racquet, but I was able to control a few of my shots to the general area I wanted it to land in.

Top Spin/Slice- I can get good access to topspin with the 16x18 pattern. I was hitting a few nice deep topspin shots and good angles over the net. Again, backhand slices were nice and low.

Comfort- This is a very comfortable racquet. Even mishits doesn't shock my arm like other stiffer racquets. All around groundstrokes were plush. I could probably go back to poly as a hybrid in this racquet and not feel any discomfort, but for now I happy with what the racquet delivers even with the stiffest and crispiest of strings.

Feel- The box beam construction gives it that classic racquet feel and the Prince grip shape always feels great in my hands. In stock form after a few hits, I can tell where I wanted to make some adjustments to enhance the feel. The Resi-Tex grip had a nice tack to it. A good choice from the Resi-Pro grip.

Maneuverability- In stock form, maneuverability was fair. I'm comfortable with the swingweight. I used to play with a Response 97 and that was very maneuverable for me and something I miss with the 100P, but I plan to upgrade to a leather grip to give me more head light maneuverability. It won't be equal to the 97 in quickness, but I appreciate the larger head size to compensate for slower maneuverability.

Stability- ATS in the upper hoop greatly improves the stability compared to the 1st gen. This definitely helped my doubles game and net play. I get great plow through and stability.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: So when I heard Prince was releasing the 3rd gen of Phantoms I was very excited and curious about the Zylon and if it would be an improvement or just some new random tech thrown in to spice up the new lineup. I have 6 years using the 1st Gen 100P, so I'm well accustomed to what the racquet can and can't do for me. It is my main racquet for singles and warm ups. When the 2nd gen 100P was released with ATS and Twaron, I was amazed at the improvement in stability, especially in the upper part of the hoop. This helped my net play and gave me good counter punching, but I don't play with it as much as the 1st gen in singles. Somehow it was slightly hard to maneuver, so I mainly use it for doubles. I really like this latest model. It's slightly more maneuverable and I can easily play singles or doubles with it. If the Zylon has anything to do with the increase in maneuverability, then it's definitely an improvement. Time will tell if I can really feel the difference, but for now it's a familiar racquet that somehow blended everything I like about the 2018 and 2020 versions.

Now like most Prince fans on this board, the olive green camo design was a hit or miss. I personally like the camouflage look, the color is okay but it's a little overkill with the matching Resi-Tex grip, besides that, it's a bold experiment in standing out through design. I still prefer Phantoms to be black. Preferably satin finish or gloss black. If it was up to me to choose a camo color, it probably would've looked cooler in a black-silver-gray-white camo colorway. Testing it out on the courts, I did get questioned a lot about the camo design. So many were curious if it was a custom. The racquet does stand out compared to the bright flouresent high gloss racquets, so it wasn't technically doing a good job "camouflaging". lol The camo design would have been great as a limited version especially for those who are racquetholics.

All in all, this was a fun playtest. This is my first racquet playtest review and it's the one I really wanted to get because the 100P has made my game more enjoyable. Thanks to the TW Staff and Prince for the opportunity.

 

[jonestim]

Phantom 107G Playtest

String and tension used for test:

Prince Tour XP 16g (supplied) 52lbs for the first half
Toroline Caviar 17g 53lbs and 2.5 grams of lead at 12 for the second

Tennis experience/background: 52 and took up tennis at 40 after racing bikes for 20+ years. More singles than doubles due to scheduling, but do enjoy doubles. Was playing at a 4.0 level two years ago and took some time off. Working my way back up to that level. Elevation where I play is about 4,000 feet and it is dry, so balls fly easily and I tend to go for a control racquet

Describe your playing style: Retriever in singles where I rely on my fitness to get to get to balls that others may give up on. Not really going for winners except on passing shots. Serve and volley in doubles.

Current racquet/string setups: Mostly Prince Tour 98 ATS with Toroline Caviar 17 @ 48, but still play the purple Phantom 100x 305 with Caviar regularly. I have also used the 1st gen Phantom 100P, 93P, and spent a few years using the POG 107.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?: 11. Combo of singles/doubles and ball machine. I will note that I did not face any big hitters during this playtest - mostly guys that rely on placement over power.

Specs : Mine came 303g unstrung and while I don’t have a way to measure swing weight it did seem like those couple grams came from the head. I don’t mind as it’s easier to add weight than subtract. Strung with overgrip it was 324g. 326 after lead for the second half of the test.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:


-Groundstrokes: I’ll start with the OHBH, which was one of my favorite shots with this racquet. I could keep the ball deep with good spin, pace and plenty of net clearance, and as long as I didn’t try to paint lines I found a lot of consistency. Passing shots had great dip to them. The sweet spot was large, easy to find, and the feel on contact was addicting. I did feel like it benefitted from a little weight at the tip.

The same could be said for the forehand if I was rallying with a partner. I could sit on the baseline and hit big targets with lots of clearance - take a rip with lots of spin and keep doing it. Where I struggled was when points were being played and I tried to go too close to the lines. The open string bed did not help with accuracy, and backing off meant the ball would trampoline without enough spin. Committing and using big targets is the way to play with it, and I did find myself reverting to other playstyles a bit too often leading to more errors than I would like. Some other racquets I have played this way were the POG 107 and the Textreme Warrior 100. This is easier to swing over a couple hours than the POG, and offers a little more control and comfort over the Warrior.

-Serves: I have found my most agressive serves with extended racquets (POG Longbody, Pure Aero Plus, PK 7g) or small heads with higher sweet spots (Phantom 93P, POG Mid). This is a lighter racquet with a long face making the sweet spot closer to your hand. I was able to find a consistent and not big spin serve that would allow for a neutral start to the point, but I seldom found the ability to go on the offense. Flat serves would often go a little long and the spin serves didn’t have the weight behind them that I would find in a heavier or longer racquet. That said, the consistency also meant that I wasn’t putting in serves ‘just to get them in’ and starting on the defense. Comparing it to the POG 107, that hit a little heavier of a ball but swinging a 12.5 oz OS racquet overhead for two hours would tire me out. The Phantom 107G is much more playable for the long haul.

-Volleys: Yes please. I really enjoyed volleying with this racquet. It was quick to get into position, soft, and had a big sweet spot. With little effort I could keep the ball deep. Mishits were few and it had great feel. Great volleys plus the aforementioned consistent serves make for one of the better doubles racquets I have used.

-Serve returns: The 107G was fast in hand with a big sweet spot, high net clearance and I could get good depth. Similar to the groundstrokes, as long as I was going for big targets I had a lot of success. Luckily, that’s how I play my return game. The longer I played with it the more comfortable I felt taking a big rip. If I did get pulled wide and tried for a cheeky short angle I would find that ball would sit up.


Comments on racquet performance in each area:

-Power: There are two ways I think about power. The trampoline from the stringbed and the plow through. The thin beam makes for a low powered frame, but the long main strings give a little back with trampoline. There isn’t a lot of plow, especially stock. Low power means I could take a good sized swing and get plenty of spin. I could find the back of the court easily, but it the ball wasn’t a ‘heavy’ ball.

-Control: On the full racquet spectrum, this is a control frame. Compared to every other Phantom I have used, it isn’t. It is low powered which gives some control, but the wide open pattern gives a little of that up. I did not feel comfortable going for lines.

-Top Spin: Very spin friendly, and it needed to be. Open pattern with thin beam gives a very big spin window, and being lower powered you can take a big cut at the ball. Sometimes the high RPMs did leave the ball a little more shallow in the court than I expected. I think a little more mass would help with that. I did prefer it with a shaped string.

-Slice: I struggled with the slice at first. Heavy and closed pattern racquets slice best for me and this is neither. With my 93P I feel like I can be offensive with slice, but this is purely defense. The ball is a little floaty and doesn’t quite die the same. Luckily, the topspin OHBH is so good.

-Comfort: Uh… it’s a Phantom. Do you have any doubts? No vibration and plush. This is a standout of all the Phantoms. I broke my elbow 15 years ago and any time I have a stiffer frame I get a flare up. Playing Phantoms (or most Prince frames) makes this a non-issue.

-Feel: Muted, solid and easy to soften up at net. Feel has always been a strong point of the Phantom line and this is no different.

-Maneuverability: At stock weight I did struggle with my timing as it came around faster than I am used to. I usually play in the 325-330 swing weight range and needed to add a little mass at 12. Even then it is quite maneuverable. This is where I used to struggle with the POG. That was heavy, and when combined with the large head I would find myself late. That was not an issue here ever.

-Stability: High twist weight gave a nice wide and stable sweet spot. Low swing weight and a thin beam did leave me wanting a few grams of lead at 12, and then I had no issues.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
POG OS was my racquet of choice for a couple years. At one point I had 6 of them, from one-stripe up to the Tour, and the “classic” from 2013. I loved hitting with them, but in match play I would end up late - especially towards the end of a long match. A couple years ago I realized I would never play my best tennis with them as much as I liked them and I sold them all and moved on to Phantoms. The 107G is a good replacement for the POG as it is more playable an still has many of the same qualities. It is faster and doesn’t tire me out, but I still do need to be cautious of spraying long if I don’t add enough top spin. I do think I need to add a couple more grams and I think it can take it and still be maneuverable.

Compared to the purple 100x 305, this has easier depth, a bigger sweet spot, less flutter in the upper hoop, but is harder to aim for the lines.

Compared to the 1st gen Phantom 100P, this is faster to come around and easier to use, but does not hit as big a ball.

For me, it’s a super fun racquet that I don’t necessarily think leads to my best tennis.

Overall, it’s a good racquet that is very unique in the racquet universe. If you are an old guy who plays mostly doubles this could be just what you are looking for - especially if you played the POG and had to give it up because it was getting too hard to swing.

Thank you Prince and TW for this opportunity.

 

[Lack]

18 x 20
String and tension used for test: Prince Tour XP 17g at 55 lbs
Tennis experience/background: Late 20s. Played D2 college tennis. Singles player. Currently coaching at a high school and a tennis club.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All court player. Eastern grip forehand and two handed backhand.
Current racquet/string setups: Prince ATS Textreme Tour 95 with Diadem Solstice Black 15L at 55 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 15+ hours

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: Right off the bat, I feel low launch angle and huge sweetspot. The groundstroke balls go deep low and sinks in to the baseline. Very easy to swing through the ball even on fast paced balls. I believe the thin beam makes the swing super smooth.
-Serves: Initial serving, I can feel the racquet head flexing back slightly resulting in the balls going out by few inches. After getting used to the swing weight and the flex I hit some of the great flat and kick serves in a while. Easy to control angle.
-Volleys: Reflex volleys, finishing volleys, and approach volleys were all well connected to the ball thanks to its large sweetspot, tight string pattern, extra weight on the handle, and thin beam construction. It provided buttery feel on volleys. Easy compression to the ball executed with quick and precise accuracy. Soft touch on the ball gave just enough response to drop it close to the net.
-Serve returns: Suffered a little bit on serve returns. The racquet is not stable enough for serves that are 100+ mph for me to counter back aggressively with control. Although, I believe the stability has improved a bit more compared to the older models. Putting 4x 3g of lead tape at 3 and 9 o'clock helped a lot on serve returns.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- Definitely power category improved signaficantly compared to the older model. Depth control was great but angle control when hitting on the rise went slightly off then I expected. I feel like control might be an issue if the strings were tensioned low due to the racquet being too flexible.
Top Spin/Slice- Easy to generate top spin due to light racquet head and thin beam construction. Slice goes super low and deep to the baseline.
Comfort- Very comfortable racquet. Large sweetspot and no harsh vibration on the arm.
Feel- Plush and soft feel. I would replace the grip to a leather grip for stiffer feel.
Maneuverability- Extremely easy to swing. Easy to time the impact even on fast paced balls.
Stability- Not good on serve return against strong servers. Great racquet on attacking slow balls but suffers slightly against heavy balls.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Amazed at how much this racquet generates power compared to the older models. I recommend this racquet for players with an eastern grip forehand, enjoys hitting flat groundstrokes, and loves to serve and volley.

Thank you TW and Prince!

 

[Circa 1762]

Thanks for this opportunity, TW and Prince!

PRINCE PHANTOM 100X 290

String and tension used for test: Hyper-G 17 mains, Hyper-G Round 17 crosses, both at 45 lbs.
Play test specs: Stock with a single overgrip, this came in at 311g weight / 321 swingweight / 32.9cm balance. I generally hit with rackets closer to 330g weight, but the swingweight and balance aren’t far off from my usual specs.
Tennis experience/background: I grew up playing tennis, was a reasonably good high school player, and then totally stopped playing for 10 years. Over the next 10 years, I had spurts where I played a lot for a few years at a time, but with big gaps in between. I’m currently 2 years into my current spurt. I played 4.0 USTA league last year and generally hit with bona fide 4.0-4.5s, with the occasional 5.0 in there.

Describe your playing style: I’m fairly small (5’7”, 155 lbs.) and very quick, so my default game style is counterpuncher (Ferrer, Chang, etc.). I can hit a big forehand when I have time, and I have a good serve for my size.
Current racquet/string setups: 2023 Yonex Vcore 98 with the same string setup I used for this play test. But I love tennis rackets, and in the past 2 years I have mained the Babolat Pure Aero VS, Head 360+ Gravity Pro, Head Auxetic Radical MP, and very briefly the Wilson Blade 104 v9, and demoed probably 15 others.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~15 hours across drills, rallying, round robin doubles, and a few singles matches

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:
-Groundstrokes: Very generous sweet spot, and I’m a big fan of the round head shape with a little flare higher up on the frame, kind of in between the Gravity and Blade 100/104 head shapes. This made it very easy to make clean contact, especially on serve returns and on the run. I did this play test with stock specs, and the 290 doesn’t have enough inherent power, swingweight, or weight to just block balls back, so you need a full swing even with the lower swingweight and weight. In stock form, this racket definitely prioritizes placement rather than power. I would probably need to add weight to be able to play with this racket as my main racket going forward solely based on the forehand, but it’s got a ton of modification potential. Spin is very good, though, so if you want to be able to work your opponent around the court with balls that have good spin and arc (more time for you to recover in between shots!) and you also don’t like rocket launcher rackets, this is worth a demo.
-Serves: Great serving racket. The thin beam and generous head size and sweet spot made it very easy to hit my spots on serves, and to mix up flat and spin. And even though this is inherently a low powered frame, I found the low power advantageous, because it meant I could really swing out. My second serve often is inconsistent, but I was loving this racket on second serve because I didn’t have to hold back as much and as a result my second serve was much more reliable than with my Vcore 98. You aren’t going to be blasting serves like a Pure Drive, but the 290 served much better than I was expecting.
-Volleys: Not the most stable, but not unstable, if that makes sense. The big head size and sweet spot help here too. I would probably add a little weight at 3/9 to help with stability, but it’s not bad by any means. The light weight makes it very quick at net, so the issue wasn’t getting volleys back but rather getting them back with enough confidence and authority to end the point. (Overheads were great too, but for me overheads are usually good with any racket unless the balance is really far off what I’m used to.)
-Serve returns: This was probably the biggest highlight of the playtest for me. Big head size and sweet spot + light racket made it very easy to get a racket on hard serves, and the low power meant that I could swing out without worrying about hitting long. (Not the best for just blocking back returns, though.) I also found that this racket tends to feel like the ball hangs on the racket for longer than normal due to the low stiffness - downside was that my returns hung up a little bit more than with my Vcore 98, but upside was that it felt like I could target my returns better. The first time I hit with the 290, I actually switched to it mid-match because I was playing so poorly with my Vcore 98 that I figured it couldn’t get worse, and I was very pleasantly surprised that my returns immediately improved significantly.

Comments on racquet performance in each area:
Power/Control- Very low power, but it didn’t feel like it had a power ceiling like the old Yonex Vcore Pros and current Percepts do. So you still get out what you put into it, but you have to put a lot more into it for the same ball speed than with most rackets. Not great for winning by hitting winners, but great for winning by getting balls back and wearing down your opponent. Control was good even with the open pattern (which I actually didn’t find to be incredibly open, but that’s probably because the Vcore 98 is quite open in the upper head), but we aren’t talking Prestige levels of control here. You will still get good control even if you aren’t hitting with spin because it’s so low powered, but it’s even better if you consciously hit a pretty spinny ball.
Top Spin/Slice- Great topspin potential. Feedback from my hitting partners was that my ball was not very fast, but still felt heavy because of the spin. I think this racket works best for someone who likes to work their opponent around the court with topspin. Not for a pusher - it doesn’t have enough power for that - but a counterpuncher who likes to make people run and has the consistency to do it. Slices seemed good too, although I try to run around my backhand whenever possible, as it’s my weakest shot by a pretty large margin. From the relatively few slices I did hit, the more open string pattern meant that slices floated a little bit more than with an 18x20, but that was offset by the very thin beam, so the end result was a pretty good slicing frame.
Comfort- Super soft. No arm problems at all. I think you could string this thing with Kevlar and it would still feel soft, so you shouldn’t have any problem stringing with stiff poly if that’s your thing. I really can’t imagine how anyone could have a problem with the comfort of this frame.
Feel- It’s a very soft frame, and as noted above it feels like the ball hangs on the racket for noticeably longer than most other rackets. I would say it felt a tad softer than the current Gravity and Blade lines, but not so much softer that it’s a wet noodle. It’s not a feel for everyone - someone coming from a Pure Drive-type frame might have trouble switching to this - but if you’re reading this review you probably already know what you’re getting yourself into with the Phantom line when it comes to feel.
Maneuverability- Very maneuverable in stock form. Reaction volleys and overheads were great, serve returns were great, and shots on the run were great. The price you pay for that is low power, but if you really prize maneuverability (along with soft feel and low power), this will be a great racket for you.
Stability- As note above, due to the lower weight and swingweight, it wasn’t the most stable racket in the world. But it wasn’t bad, and due to the head shape I bet the twistweight is pretty high. Higher level players will probably want to add weight.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I have demoed a ton of rackets in the past year, and the 100X 290 is a very unique frame - super soft, thin beam, big head, open string pattern, very low power. Its closest analogue is probably the Gravity MP or the Blade 104 (even though the 104 is extended). I thought the 100X 290 was less powerful than both of those but also noticeably more stable (especially compared to the Gravity MP), with spin Gravity MP > 100X 290 > Blade 104. So who is this racket for? In stock form, I think this is a pretty niche frame. It’s going to be too low powered for most beginners and intermediates, but too light for most advanced players. I think it could work well for intermediate scramblers (which is me) and also intermediate doubles specialists who grew up using soft, low powered frames but now need something lighter with a bigger head size and who prioritize touch/feel. If you like players like Ferrer or Barty - consistent, winning by playing smart tennis rather than bludgeoning the ball, heavy forehands from spin rather than speed - this might be a racket for you. Again, that’s pretty niche. But what the 100X 290 also has going for it is that it’s already stable enough stock but it’s very light, so it has incredible modification potential - which I’m looking forward to exploring in the coming months and will report back on this thread. I don’t think I could make this my main racket in stock form - it just doesn’t have enough put-away power, and at times I was tiring myself out hitting max effort to try to hit winners. But I don’t think it would take all that much added weight to get it to a place where it would have a shot of dethroning my Vcore 98 - probably a little bit at 3/9, and a healthy amount above the handle. Looking forward to continuing to experiment with this one!

 

[MoxMonkey]

Report on the Prince Phantom 100 playtest:


Basics.

Racquet was left in stock format with the exception of a Wilson pro overgrip.

String with Prince Tour XP 16g at 46lbs

I used this racquet for approximately 15 hours.

I have played tennis for almost 4 years, almost daily, about 12-18 hours a week, depending on the season.

My playing style is that of an agressive baseliner, and perform measurably better in singles over doubles. Relative to my level I hit with more pace and spin than my peers from the baseline, and struggle at the net in comparison.

Haven't played USTA in a couple years, but would rate myself as an average to somewhat above average 3.5

Currently playing with either a modified 2021 Vcore 95 or a 2020 prince phantom 93p 18*20 stock, both strung at 40lbs.

Ok so thanks to TW for including me in this playtest. The first time I tried to hit with it in only lasted 5 minutes, the launch angle was measurably higher than the current racquets I have been playing with and this was frustrating. However the next day I took her out and adjusted to the racquet and have had better experiences since.

Groundstrokes.

This is where I liked the racquet the most. I am able to hit with paçe and spin. The racquet gives the confidence to swing out. The pocketing is incredible. The feel is fantastic. Something about that really gave the the ability to lean into and drive the ball with quite a lot of pace.

This was especially noticable and shots at inside the baseline that I was flattening out.

In particular the backhand(one handed) was something that I enjoyed hitting with this racquet. I felt as though I could swing with power and control. In some ways it felt like I had to swing with power to get control.

Serves were alright. Being left handed I hit primarily slice serves, and i get decent action on the ball. I was able to adjust how much spin I wanted to impart on the ball fairly easily. When I would hit flat it felt uncertain, but to be honest I don't hit very good flat serves.

Volleys were good. For such a plush feeling racquet it felt quite stable at the net, and was able to stick volleys that I needed to. The racquet feels fast, easy to maneuver. Swing volleys were great with this racquet. If a floater is coming it feels easy to time well and blast it.

Serve returns depended on the serve. Slower serves felt very attackable, I could step on and take initiative. The racquet is easy to maneuver. On faster serves i struggled to defend.


Power/Control:

So this racquet has similarities to the other phantom that I use, being the control is best when I take full swings. It can get launchy if I try to place the ball with a shortened swing as opposed to driving it there with a full stroke. However, the feel of this racquet is quite good, and instills confidence to swing through the ball. Plenty of power, if I lean into one I can smoke it.

Topspin/Slice

Above average topspin potential, it's quite easy to shape the ball. I especially noticed I was able to rip up on low balls inside the court on the FH and BH and have them come down, great attacking stuff. From behind the baseline I found myself hitting a somewhat higher ball than I usually do, but could still drive it lower if I wanted to.

I tend not to slice a whole lot, usually in defensive situations where I'm trying to reset, or on backhands off the shoetops, so most of my slices are intentionally high and soft and/or from a stretched out position. In these spots the racquet did an adequate job.

Comfort

The racquet is soft. I have never had arm pain issues, but this is a comfortable racquet. It's not mushy, but the impacts don't have the harshness polyester strings sometimes have.

Feel

This is BY FAR BY FAR the best attribute of this racquet. Everything you do with this racquet is benefitted by the responsive, plush, stable, soft yet firm feedback the Prince Phantom 100 gives. This has to be what this racquet is built around. I can't explain why, but I had a high level of confidence on most the shots because of the feel. Fantastic.

Maneuverability

This racquet moves well. I found it easy to swing on my backhand(one hand), as well as forehand. I felt ready at the net when volleying.

Stability

Well nothing is perfect and this is where something had to give. I didn't get pushed around when using this racquet, but off center hits were often weak balls. The sweet spot isn't small, but there's not a whole lot of forgiveness when you miss it.

Overall I found this to be racquet great for someone who wants to feel connected to it. This racquet has some of the best feel I've ever played with. That feel gave a connection to the racquet that allowed me to be more confident when swinging, which for someone like myself is huge.

This is a good one.

 

[pedrogcr]

Hey everyone, here is my review of the Prince Phantom 100x 290.

Sorry I wasn't able to post earlier, but I've been having issues accessing the forum on my computer since yesterday. I could access it from my phone, and only tonight I thought about using it as a hotspot so I could log in with my PC.

The Prince Phantom series - one of my favorite series all-time - is famous for its classic feel and flexible frames, and the new 2024 Phantom 100x 290 stays true to this tradition. This racquet offers the same impressive combination of control, and comfort of the previous iterations, but the new layup offers a bit more stability an easy power making it a strong contender for players seeking an arm-friendly yet performance-oriented option. I'm genuinely impressed by this update to one of my favorite lines of racquets, and it has certainly earned a permanent place in my "holic" bag.

String and tension used for test: For this playtest, I used:

• Mains: Head Sonic Pro Edge at 41 pounds
• Crosses: Head Sonic Pro Edge at 37 pounds

Tennis experience/background: Male, 44 years old, 4.0 NTRP. Grew up playing on red clay in Brazil and competed in regional tournaments until I was 15. I took a long break from the game and resumed playing at 39, already in Florida. I have always been partial to extended racquets and have modified many standard-length models in search of the perfect fit.

Describe your playing style (i.e., serve & volley): I'm a baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin on both sides, using a semi-western forehand grip and a two-handed backhand. I primarily play doubles these days and love hitting cross-court angled passing shots and offensive topspin lobs. My slice and net game are inconsistent, and my serve speed has been limited due to a shoulder injury, but has been improving since I started to feel better.

*EDIT TO ADD VIDEO:
The video below is from 2022, but is the perfect example of how I like to play. I am the guy in the white hat and arm sleeve (coincidentally the one with all the highlights), and was the only 4.0 rated in that match with some good 4.5 friends. I was using the previous generation Phantom 100x 290, and was at the peak of my shoulder pain, so was stuck hitting that pushy, low-powered half-slice serve, but the rest of my game was pretty sharp that day.

Current racquet/string setups:
I rotate between many frames in friendly play, but will usually reach for my Head Gravity Pro (TGT344.4) extended to 27.5" or, more recently, my Prince TX182P-100 27.38" (18x19).
I also like to test different string setups, but have been loving lower tensions around 40 lbs.
Some of the main strings I use are the aforementioned Head Sonic Pro Edge that, unfortunately was discontinued, Ytex Square-X, and MSV Focux Hex, among others.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
I played with the racquet for about 10 hours with it in stock form, and another 3 hours with it customized to my specs. I will focus more on the general experience with the racquet in stock form, and will write another review after I have more time with it with the updated specs.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:

- Groundstrokes: The Phantom 100x 290 performed impressively from the baseline, giving me excellent control and a plush feel. Both my forehand and backhand felt solid and consistent, allowing me to hit with depth and precision. The racquet's stability for its weight was remarkable, and I could generate heavy topspin and maintain long rallies with ease.

- Serves: Serving with the Phantom 100x 290 was a mixed experience. Flat and slice serves were reliable and precise, allowing me to place the ball accurately. However, kick serves lacked the same pop and consistency, making it harder to mix up my serve effectively.

- Volleys: The racquet was excellent at the net, feeling light and maneuverable. Volleys were crisp and precise, with a fantastic feel that allowed for great touch on drop volleys. Overheads were similarly solid, giving me confidence to finish points decisively.

- Serve returns: I found the Phantom 100x 290 to be very effective on returns, especially on the backhand side. It allowed me to handle big serves and redirect them with control. Forehand returns were equally reliable, enabling me to take aggressive cuts at second serves and maintain control.

Comments on racquet performance in each area:

- Power: This racquet has a low power level due to its thin beam and flexible frame. This allowed me to take big swings and generate my own power, which suits my game well. Compared to previous models, I noticed an incremental increase in power, making it slightly easier to hit with depth and pace.

- Control: Control is a standout feature of the Phantom 100x 290. After a brief adjustment period, I felt confident in my ability to place shots accurately without overhitting. Directional control was precise, allowing me to target specific areas of the court with ease.

- Top Spin: The racquet's headlight balance and open string pattern made it easy to generate topspin, particularly on my backhand. I was able to hit beautifuly shaped and heavy shots from the baseline. This frame suits my topspin-heavy game perfectly, enabling me to play with confidence from the back of the court.

- Slice: Slice is probably my worst shot, so I try not to use it much! However, the thin beam of the Phantom 100x 290 offers awesome control on touch shots, making drop shots a very effective weapon.

- Comfort: Comfort is a key strength of this racquet. Despite my history of elbow and shoulder issues, I experienced no discomfort even during extended play sessions. The flexible frame and soft string setup provided a very arm-friendly experience.

- Feel: The racquet provides excellent feel, balancing plushness with a touch of crispness. Most people think Phantoms (and Prince) are too muted, but I find they offer good feedback on touch shots and volleys, and I agree with most other reviewers that this new version might feel even better, offering a slightly more direct feedback than previous versions.

- Maneuverability: The Phantom 100x 290 is very maneuverable, even when extended by 0.5 inches. It was easy to handle at the net and on quick reaction shots, making it versatile for various play styles.

- Stability: Stability was solid, though not exceptional. The racquet handled most shots well, but against heavy hitters, I noticed a slight instability on off-center hits. the extra length and a little lead at 10 and 2 quickly improved this aspect, as well as improving the response from the uuper hoop.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with the 2024 Prince Phantom 100x 290. It offers a well-rounded mix of power, control, and comfort, making it a welcome improvement, while keeping the main aspects that make the Phantom line so special. While I'm not sure yet if I will switch back to using it as my main racquet, it has certainly earned a permanent place in my "holic" bag.

Stock and Customized Form: In its stock form, the racquet is already quite playable, but I preferred it with some added weight to enhance stability and power. Customizing it to match my usual specs brought out its best qualities, adding more pop, especially to the serve.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:
Excellent control and feel
Arm-friendly comfort
Maneuverable at the net
Solid performance on both wings

Cons:
Slight instability against heavy hitters
Less effective kick and slower flat serves

Conclusion and Rating: I always knew the 290g model would be too light in stock form for my game, but I was actually quite impressed by its performance. But the slightly lower swing weight compared to the 305g version makes it one of the best platform racquets for gear-heads who like to tinker with their equipment.
I rate it an awesome 9 out of 10, as one of my favorite modern frames.

 

[OEEspino]

Hi not a playtester but I got the Phantom 16x18 because I love Prince. But here’s my review.

I've been hitting the courts since February 2023 and consider myself a solid 3.5 player. My go-to has been the Prince Tour 98 Japan Variant (2023) with Restring Sync, but I've recently spent 20 hours with the Prince Phantom 100X 16x18 with Restring Sync as well.

The Phantom 100X is a counter puncher's dream. I can really place the ball where I want. My groundstrokes felt fast and efficient for the lack of better terms. Playing with a one hand backhand, it was smooth to really rip a good one with this stick. Plus, it's comfortable to hold and play with, offering a plush feel without losing the tactile feedback I need to stay in control.

Comparing it to the Tour 98, there's a noticeable difference. The Tour 98 feels a bit stiffer and provides slightly better feedback, which I appreciate during volleys and at the net. However, the Phantom's thinner beam, while a tad less stable, makes serving and slicing smoother and more precise. The serves come off crisp, and the slices cut through the air.

I'm also a fan of the Phantom's colorway. The shades of green are just my style, and it's a nice change from the usual racket designs. It stands out without being too flashy, which is perfect for me.

Overall, while the Prince Tour 98 offers a bit more stability and feedback, the Prince Phantom 100X 16x18 aligns better with my defensive play. It's a comfortable racket that doesn't compromise on feel, making it a great choice for players who want to stay on the defensive and offensive without sacrificing control.

 

[tennisfan17]

Wow I seem to be the only one who did not click with this racquet and did not like it lol

 

[codonnell]

Wow I seem to be the only one who did not click with this racquet and did not like it lol

I think some of your criticisms are valid, I think the phantom frame in itself is built towards a specific taste and feeling. I did like the frame but also acknowledge it’s very different from my current main frame kinda like your ezone 98. It took me quite a bit of time into the playtest to adjust/get a feel for it as well!

 

[Fighting phoenix]

Wow I seem to be the only one who did not click with this racquet and did not like it lol

I read your review and thought that a lot of your criticisms were valid, and I could see how many players would feel the way that you did. My more positive review seemed like more of the flip side of your perspective; that said, in the end the racquet wasn't for me either, but I could see that it would be for a lot of players looking for a more forgiving, comfortable control oriented stick.

 

[OEEspino]

Wow I seem to be the only one who did not click with this racquet and did not like it lol

To be fair, it’s a confusing racket even tho I like it. Took a while for me to get used to it. My biggest gripe is the slightly inconsistent launch angle. But man the serves and slices are magnificent

 

[codonnell]

To be fair, it’s a confusing racket even tho I like it. Took a while for me to get used to it. My biggest gripe is the slightly inconsistent launch angle. But man the serves and slices are magnificent

I’m right there with you for the serves and slices and taking a long time to adjust. And I do think the identity can be confusing, as when I first started using the frame it felt like it was trying to do everything well which isn’t really the case! Once you opt to play it more like a players frame and control oriented it is a bit clearer.

 

[ey039524]

Wow I seem to be the only one who did not click with this racquet and did not like it lol

Did you just play w it in stock form?

I didn't like it w/o any modification, as well as a few other reviewers.

 

[ttwarrior1]

hard to tell which rackets some of you are talking about in responses

 

[tennisfan17]

Did you just play w it in stock form?

I didn't like it w/o any modification, as well as a few other reviewers.

I only used it in stock form. I don't really like customizing racquets that much (partially because I am bad at doing so), and as is it just missed for me lol

 

[dgoran]

Wow I seem to be the only one who did not click with this racquet and did not like it lol

I did not either. Just could not feel what I’m doing with it. Seems it would be great for arm elbow sufferers but it was just not for me.

 

[Injured Again]

Wow I seem to be the only one who did not click with this racquet and did not like it lol

The 107G was not the racquet for me either, despite that I used the POG back in the 1980’s and loved it, and that I’m currently using an OS racquet.

I think Prince’s design philosophy with the 107G was to make a lightweight and arm friendly OS racquet that would appeal to women, to men who may be older or smaller in stature and want to lower their swing weight, or to doubles specialists who value precision over power.

As someone who is still using higher static and swing weights similar to my youth, and who still swings pretty aggressively, it just didn’t work for me. Even modified, it still had shortcomings that were not fixable and were difficult for me to compensate for without significantly changing my game.

I think it’s also a tough sell even to those who would be well suited to this racquet. It doesn’t wow you with pace or spin, and the most immediate things I noticed were the impact feel, comfort, and low powered nature. Unfortunately, in stock form, it isn’t well suited to hard swinging players so it doesn’t work for an aggressive player looking to tame their shots.

Since I submitted my review, I had a high level age group player test the racquet. They are currently using a Clash 108 with Alu Power. I reverted my 107G back to stock (for my wife) and they said it was a nice racquet but they lost too much on the ball compared to their Clash 108.

For my wife, who is 5’3” and currently using an O3 Silver, I’m going to restring with a high end multifilament. I have X1 Biphase in her racquet now but I found a pack of Dunlop Iconic All. I’m curious to see how the 107G responds to a more powerful string.

 

[JMcQ]

I am not a playtester but wanted to give my quick impression of the Phantom 107G. A little bit about me - Late 40s; former 4.0-4.5 player (primarily doubles); one-handed backhand; reliant on a heavy forehand and biting slice backhand; strong volleyer. Serves and topspin backhand have always been the weakest part of my game. Due to injuries, haven't played for several years. Just now getting back to it. Current racquet - Donnay Pro One 97. Typically a fan of thin beam frames because I feel like I can do more with the ball at net. Loved the original Prince Graphite as a kid so took a flyer on a used frame.

Simply, I found this racquet hard to control. When I found the right window, I could hit a deep and heavy ball. Many times, the ball felt like it trampolined and was uncontrollable on the forehand side. And instead of a driving slice, the ball would float and flutter. At net, the frame was...fine. As a player that prizes touch volleys, probably to my detriment, the Phantom didn't excite me like I expected.

Worse, I found my shoulder and wrist hurt after only ~20mins. This surprised me as I understood the Phantom was supposed to be arm-friendly. Overall, not the frame for me.

 

[Multifilament]

My playtest for Phantom 100*305
Tennis experience/background:
My dynamic rating on the TennisRecord.com is 4.03 at the moment, primarily play USTA Men’s 4.0 double. I grew up as a soccer player. In early 30’s, I began to play tennis, and have kept playing since then. I am 52 now.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Solid baseline swings to create opportunities to come to net for kill whenever possible.

Current racquet/string setups:
PP100P, customized to 12.3oz with lead tapes, 6 head light. My usual string setup is main natural guts at 52pd, signum pro poly plasma 16L at 49pd

How many hours did you play with the racquet?

The racket came with full bed poly. I played for 4 hours and cut out. I then customized the racket to my liking, and strung it with my usual set up, guts hybrid. I played another 14hrs with the modified racket. All the players that I played with for this playtest were about my level, rating between 3.97 and 4.11.


Unmodified vs. modified:
Both. Unmodified racket is light for me. Two 4inch of lead tapes on each side of beam, and 8 inch of lead tape near the butt. I also changed it to leather grid.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groeundstroks: I played it with the poly that came with it. By feeling it, I think it might have strung around 53 to 55. I decided to play it at its raw form, knowing it was much lighter to my liking.

Unmodified: There is a sweet spot at the center of string bed, not very big, but truly sweet when the ball hits that location. The racket felt solid and the ball flies back with easy effort. When the ball hits anywhere else, I immediately feel the torque, very uncomfortable and unfamiliar to me as none of my racket feels this way. The string bed is felt like the surface of the Moon, not any two spots feel the same. If you hit the ball at its centerline, you will get direct response, further from the sweet spot, more dead it feels. If you hit off the center, you will need to control your hand to resist the twisting and rotating of the racket, causing the ball to spray. My one-handed back hand suffered tremendously, as it requires nearly perfect timing for me to hit with sweet spot. Any shots that did not hit the sweet spot felt weak and spraying.

Modified: after customization, the racket turned into a beast. The string bed evens out. The vibration and torque are significantly reduced. With heavier setting and head light, I can swing out fully and felt like my old reliable racket. Nevertheless, I unconsciously still don’t trust it when it comes to my backhand swing. I suppose I always have an issue with the timing of my backhand, and this racket is not really offering additional help on this department.

-Serves: My first serve is more of punching, aiming at T or at corner with ball speed around 90 to 95 miles. My second serve is more of kick.

The unmodified racket was actually not bad for the serve as I was able to hit the ball near the sweet spot more often than not. Although It was not very powerful, with precision, I could make the opponent to stretch quite a bit. Off center serves were all under the net. I had a bit difficulty with kick serve, as the power dropped quite significantly. I was at mercy of my opponent for the second serve.

After modification, the racket is alive. I guess the guts string may contribute to some of the improvement. It become more powerful with precision. The kick serve is about shoulder high with pace, neutralize the opponent.


-Volleys:

Unmodified racket literarily killed my play style. The string bed felt like uneven response. I constantly felt like the racket was going to fly out from my hand. At the net, I was being pushed left and right. I think this is where I began to feel my elbow sore.

Modified: the issues are solved

Bottom line is that the beam of this racket in its stock form is not thick enough or sturdy enough to stabilize when hitting the ball.


-Serve returns:

Unmodified racket: I never felt sore with my usual set up, but I felt the sore after playing this racket for two hours. I was being pushed as the racket was too light, causing me to swing hard than needed. The arm was taking the hits.

Modified: I was able to return the balls with speed and placement, cutting time short for the opponent to response.


Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- In its original form, it lacks power and control. The only time I felt the balance of power and control was when the ball hits the sweet spot, which is by no mean big.

After modification, the racket still tends to be lack of power, but this is where the guts shine. The set up is perfect for me as I am able to seamlessly transit between this racket and my usual racket.

Top Spin/Slice- Decent top spin, but great at slice. I believe it is mostly due to the thin beam. After modification, the slice is even more floating and penetrating, It might be the best part about this racket.

Comfort-
Unmodified: I would not describe the racket to be comfortable, even its stiffness was low. The feeling of the racket trying to rotate out of your hand is not considered to be comfort.

After Modification, it just feels like my pp100p, soft and stable.


Feel-

Unmodified: hard to say, since the off-center shots are spraying. It felt almost like a pinwheel in my hand… (I might be exaggerating here)

Modified, solid, I was able to drop the ball where I wanted, and the valley can be deadly.


Maneuverability- Whether unmodified or modified, I can swing this racket with ease. It just cut through air with no resistance. After the modification, it is even more head light. At net, it is like blade, you could always hear the whistle sound as it cuts through



Stability- Unmodified, no stability here. The torque caused my elbow sore after playing.

Modified, a great racket with solid feel.


General reaction/comments on overall performance:
In its stock form, I would say it is good for level at 3.5, assuming no one hit hard ball at you. The beam is just too thin and lack of support. The sweet spot is small but truly sweet. The off-center shots are not easy to control, as it tends to twist in your hand. I developed sore elbow after two outings and decided to cut it out.

After the modification, I feel seamless transition from this racket to my current PP100P, also customized, If you are hard hitter, you need to customize this racket. The changes before and after the modification is quite significant. This Phantom 100*305 has a potential, and it just needs modified depending on your play style.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, Tenniswarehouse.

Thanks for the fantastic review @Getting_Closer, I'm very interested in making similar customization to my 305 X frame for more stability (less jarring) off-center hits.

Could you please elaborate a bit more on your modifications, like where on the beam you added weight? Where specifically you added weight at the butt of the frame, etc? Want to try and emulate this setup and I'm not super experienced regarding racquet customization.

 

[JFrijhoff]

What are people’s favorite string setup for the 100x 305gr?

 

[Trinity110]

Well this will bore the pants off you, but Gamma Syn gut with Wearguard, 16g, at 46 lbs.

I have recently switched to the Tour 100 290, after having used the 98 for about 6 months, and am loving it. But I loved the 100X 305 for everything except the serve. (well, it lacked in power a bit) I think it was the flex that never gave me the feedback on the serve; always felt like I mishit it. And with the Tours, both versions (actually those and the 100P and the 100 310 as well) the serve was on auto-pilot.

But I digress

 

[BBM]

I had the previous version and I thought the grip size (I use L2) ran a little small, like many other Prince sticks. Can anyone confirm if it's the same with this new version?

 

[tele]

I had the previous version and I thought the grip size (I use L2) ran a little small, like many other Prince sticks. Can anyone confirm if it's the same with this new version?

the handles are the same, but some feel that the base grips are a little thicker. that can be easily remedied with a thinner grip

 

[Injured Again]

I had the previous version and I thought the grip size (I use L2) ran a little small, like many other Prince sticks. Can anyone confirm if it's the same with this new version?

The size 3 that I got did not feel overly large or small. I'd say the sizing is just about spot on.

 

[BBM]

The size 3 that I got did not feel overly large or small. I'd say the sizing is just about spot on.

By any chance did you try the outgoing version? And if so did you feel the same?

 

[codonnell]

I had the previous version and I thought the grip size (I use L2) ran a little small, like many other Prince sticks. Can anyone confirm if it's the same with this new version?

I also agree with Injured Again, I have the phantom 305 in an l2, and it plays completely true to size. I actually love the way the grip felt plus circular shape. Was very similar to my Babolat before they got compressed.

 

[Injured Again]

By any chance did you try the outgoing version? And if so did you feel the same?

No, the current version is the only one I’ve hit with so I have no comparison - sorry!

My wife has an O3 from years ago, also in size 3, and the grip diameters are basically identical.

 

[Tennis1337]

I have the 2020 version of the 100X 305. Would the playtesters here say its worth the upgrade? I feel the sweetspot is big and hear some saying its small on the new one. Currently UTR 9. Thanks.