Power Player
Bionic Poster
First off, I have acquired a Prince Phantom 93P and also a Pro100P (edit - I sold the 100P back to TW, the P93 is a far better frame, imo) - Ask me anything.
Yes, there is an existing thread on this frame, but I feel like it may deserve two. I think the RF97 has hundreds, and even Sureshs has multiple tributes,so...yeah.
Anyway- the frame and a quick update on myself. I have not been playing tennis nearly as much as I did last year simply because I have been doing other forms of fitness. But I miss the game and am surrounded by really great players so I wanted to get back out there and play a little more. Last time I played was late January. I share this simply because many may consider a mid size frame too demanding for them - it may be, but if you know how to play (ie - you move your feet after the shot instead of standing there staring at the ball)you may really enjoy this racquet a lot. I play with 4.0 to 5.0 players. Know a few ex D1 college players and low ranked pros here. Also some solid rec players. It really varies. Tonight was har tru with 2 4.0s and one 4.5. I plan to hit with more folks next week, including a really good player who played D1, so this frame will get a workout. I will update as it goes.
First thing is the racquet looks awesome. Plus it has a leather grip, which rules. It's a really thin beam, which I love too. I was thinking this thing would weigh 350+ with a overgrip on it but mine came in at 340 strung (rs lyon 17 at 48#s). The balance is probably 7 pts HL. Whatever it is, I love it.
Does it need a dampener? Nope. I ended up using one, because that is what I am used to and I prefer the feedback and feel with it, but this thing does not vibrate in a bad way at all. If you prefer no dampener, you will be quite happy. Anyway, here's some details on how it plays.
Groundstrokes - Being rusty and playing on har tru is not exactly a recipe for success. Especially considering my racquet of choice has been a Babolat Pure Aero Plus. The +Babs are my jam for when things get really competitive and it's time to bring serious heat. Absolutely great frames. But I go back and forth with feel, and sometimes I wan to use something nice and classic that really drives the ball. The 93P does this. I was thinking it would be too low in power, but this was not the case. I should add that I left the Babs at home today and brought a brand new Phantom Pro100P that I added 4 grams of lead at 12 to. The stock 93P has more power than the leaded up 100P. I would guess the SW is at least in the mid 330s, but it is so well balanced that it just swings smoothly.
Main thing to remember for me when I start playing again is that I need to chill and let the frame do the work. Well, that was easy with this racquet. Light warm up rallying - easy depth on both wings. I was particularly impressed with the 2hbackhand side, as I that is my weaker stroke. I had no issues at all keeping it deep and heavy. The frame is exceptionally solid, but very easy to whip through contact. It plays true to size, imo. Not a 95, but not a 90 either. One standout shot for me was that on wide shots to my forehand side, I could hit heavy returns with seemingly laser placement. So counterpunching with this frame was surprisingly effective due to the high level of accuracy. Trajectory was predictably lower than an open patterned 100, but since the frame is so well balanced, it was not that difficult to whip through the shot and lift the ball over the net. Slice - incredible on both sides. I did not get to use that shot enough, and I look forward to more, as the backhand slice can become a truly effective weapon, and squash shots are equally nasty. Very easy to hit a LeeD hissing down the line slice with a conti grip.
Serve - I had not served in forever, but this frame made it so much easier for me to regain my form and work up to hitting big serves towards the end of the evening. It is so fun to serve with this frame that I did not want to stop. The stand out feature of it is how easy it comes through contact. It was almost effortless to serve flat, slice or topspin. If you enjoy practicing serving, this frame may be worth a purchase just for that reason.
Return - true test of a frame, imo - especially a mid. A great frame combined with solid timing and technique makes returning a low effort activity and this delivered big time. I got to face a pretty decent 4.5 serve which was hitting lumps of har tru and crappy lines and I was still able to hit returns that put him back on his heels. Blocking serves back was truly where I enjoyed it the most. Just put the racquet out and the ball lands a foot inside the line with enough underspin to start a rally and not set you up to watch a winner go by.
Volley - Simply did not volley enough yet to tell you much there. But when I did, it was extremely solid and pinpoint. I will update when I get more time at the net
Feel - Main thing we care about is how does it feel? Well to me, it feels absolutely great. It reminds me of a hybrid between a Head PC600 and a Wilson Pro Staff. It's more Head than Wilson, but it has that firmer feel of the Wilson and plays like that too. I really believe most people will be quite happy with how this racquet feels on contact. It's got that rare ideal balance between crisp and plush/muted that most players will really, really enjoy.
String - string it low. Full poly at 45#s is great. I would go with 17 gauge, personally.
Ok, this was really long. The short version is if you like mids - buy it.If you like classic feel - buy it. If you always were intrigued by a mid but are not sure if your game is good enough - buy it. The worst thing that happens is you have a fantastic frame that will make you a better player sitting in the bag next to your Babolats. That's my plan, at least.
Yes, there is an existing thread on this frame, but I feel like it may deserve two. I think the RF97 has hundreds, and even Sureshs has multiple tributes,so...yeah.
Anyway- the frame and a quick update on myself. I have not been playing tennis nearly as much as I did last year simply because I have been doing other forms of fitness. But I miss the game and am surrounded by really great players so I wanted to get back out there and play a little more. Last time I played was late January. I share this simply because many may consider a mid size frame too demanding for them - it may be, but if you know how to play (ie - you move your feet after the shot instead of standing there staring at the ball)you may really enjoy this racquet a lot. I play with 4.0 to 5.0 players. Know a few ex D1 college players and low ranked pros here. Also some solid rec players. It really varies. Tonight was har tru with 2 4.0s and one 4.5. I plan to hit with more folks next week, including a really good player who played D1, so this frame will get a workout. I will update as it goes.
First thing is the racquet looks awesome. Plus it has a leather grip, which rules. It's a really thin beam, which I love too. I was thinking this thing would weigh 350+ with a overgrip on it but mine came in at 340 strung (rs lyon 17 at 48#s). The balance is probably 7 pts HL. Whatever it is, I love it.
Does it need a dampener? Nope. I ended up using one, because that is what I am used to and I prefer the feedback and feel with it, but this thing does not vibrate in a bad way at all. If you prefer no dampener, you will be quite happy. Anyway, here's some details on how it plays.
Groundstrokes - Being rusty and playing on har tru is not exactly a recipe for success. Especially considering my racquet of choice has been a Babolat Pure Aero Plus. The +Babs are my jam for when things get really competitive and it's time to bring serious heat. Absolutely great frames. But I go back and forth with feel, and sometimes I wan to use something nice and classic that really drives the ball. The 93P does this. I was thinking it would be too low in power, but this was not the case. I should add that I left the Babs at home today and brought a brand new Phantom Pro100P that I added 4 grams of lead at 12 to. The stock 93P has more power than the leaded up 100P. I would guess the SW is at least in the mid 330s, but it is so well balanced that it just swings smoothly.
Main thing to remember for me when I start playing again is that I need to chill and let the frame do the work. Well, that was easy with this racquet. Light warm up rallying - easy depth on both wings. I was particularly impressed with the 2hbackhand side, as I that is my weaker stroke. I had no issues at all keeping it deep and heavy. The frame is exceptionally solid, but very easy to whip through contact. It plays true to size, imo. Not a 95, but not a 90 either. One standout shot for me was that on wide shots to my forehand side, I could hit heavy returns with seemingly laser placement. So counterpunching with this frame was surprisingly effective due to the high level of accuracy. Trajectory was predictably lower than an open patterned 100, but since the frame is so well balanced, it was not that difficult to whip through the shot and lift the ball over the net. Slice - incredible on both sides. I did not get to use that shot enough, and I look forward to more, as the backhand slice can become a truly effective weapon, and squash shots are equally nasty. Very easy to hit a LeeD hissing down the line slice with a conti grip.
Serve - I had not served in forever, but this frame made it so much easier for me to regain my form and work up to hitting big serves towards the end of the evening. It is so fun to serve with this frame that I did not want to stop. The stand out feature of it is how easy it comes through contact. It was almost effortless to serve flat, slice or topspin. If you enjoy practicing serving, this frame may be worth a purchase just for that reason.
Return - true test of a frame, imo - especially a mid. A great frame combined with solid timing and technique makes returning a low effort activity and this delivered big time. I got to face a pretty decent 4.5 serve which was hitting lumps of har tru and crappy lines and I was still able to hit returns that put him back on his heels. Blocking serves back was truly where I enjoyed it the most. Just put the racquet out and the ball lands a foot inside the line with enough underspin to start a rally and not set you up to watch a winner go by.
Volley - Simply did not volley enough yet to tell you much there. But when I did, it was extremely solid and pinpoint. I will update when I get more time at the net
Feel - Main thing we care about is how does it feel? Well to me, it feels absolutely great. It reminds me of a hybrid between a Head PC600 and a Wilson Pro Staff. It's more Head than Wilson, but it has that firmer feel of the Wilson and plays like that too. I really believe most people will be quite happy with how this racquet feels on contact. It's got that rare ideal balance between crisp and plush/muted that most players will really, really enjoy.
String - string it low. Full poly at 45#s is great. I would go with 17 gauge, personally.
Ok, this was really long. The short version is if you like mids - buy it.If you like classic feel - buy it. If you always were intrigued by a mid but are not sure if your game is good enough - buy it. The worst thing that happens is you have a fantastic frame that will make you a better player sitting in the bag next to your Babolats. That's my plan, at least.
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