Our playtesters were impressed with the amount of control and precision they got from the Head Prestige Pro 2023 from the baseline. Chris enjoyed the control on his topspin shots. He said, "I definitely found a groove with the Prestige Pro 2023 during our month-long test. The more I played with this racquet the more I appreciated the control it offered. I found I could swing very aggressively and add more loop to my topspin shots while still staying well within the lines. I was very happy with my topspin angle shots, finding I could hit a short angle with good pace. I found enough maneuverability on defensive shots to still be able to generate some racquet head speed to hit deep. I also had fun hitting drop shots with this racquet because it offered excellent touch."

Hitting from the baseline was a highlight for Mark throughout this playtest. He said, "As much as I enjoy the new Auxetic 2.0 Prestige Pro in any on-court situation, trading groundstrokes from the baseline was my favorite part of the playtest. The static weight and swingweight combination translated to stability against heavy pace, while its tip-light balance and forgiving layup of graphite made it easier to return shots. When paired with an edgy polyester like Head Lynx Tour, this racquet let me develop lots of effective spin, along with a higher launch angle for good net clearance."

Troy wasn't expecting the Prestige Pro to feel as stable as it did, but he certainly wasn't complaining. He described, "As I expected, having tested the previous version, I noticed a very high level of comfort and control, and that elite level of feel that comes from a thin beam (20-mm straight) frame like this Head Prestige Pro 2023. The flexibility of this racquet was evident from the very first hitting session, creating a very plush and comfortable feel, but I was more surprised by how stable it felt for being such a flexible frame. When facing hard hitters, I found a stable response from this Prestige Pro 2023. It also packed enough mass and plow through to help redirect the ball with ease. When striking the ball from the baseline, the Prestige Pro 2023 felt low powered and had a relatively low launch angle, but this was something that I appreciated as I hit with it more."

This Prestige Pro took a little time for Michelle to get used to. She said, "I don't think I was on the playtest for the previous version of this racquet, but 2023 is the year of 18x20s for me! As the test went on, I felt more and more connected to this racquet, and there were some standout features. First things first; this is a flexible and soft racquet. For me, pairing a low flex with a tight string pattern and a small head is tough. I think for complete success, I would need to change one of those three characteristics. The Prestige Pro 2023 felt silky smooth, but the sweetspot was a bit demanding. I noted a tiny lack of plow through at times, and I was craving just a tad more mass behind the ball to get the racquet thumping through the ball because I don’t have a whippy stroke. Aside from that, I can see why a lot of players will love this racquet; it has great control, feel and predictability. I know my peers who have been playing tennis since the '90s will love it."

The touch at net was a standout feature of the Head Prestige Pro 2023 for our team. Hitting drop volleys and angles at the net was one of Troy's favorite parts of this playtest. He said, "Like I noticed on groundstrokes, the feel was ultra smooth, plush and comfortable when hitting my volleys. I liked the feel of this racquet in my hand. The weight and balance offered a nice feel for that initial moment of inertia. There was enough mass built into the frame to provide a good amount of stability, and it also felt relatively maneuverable and head light. There was plenty of control and feel, which had me wanting to hit more drop volleys and use the short angles of the court. Power isn't this racquet's strong suit, but there was enough mass in the hoop for me to feel confident when I wanted to stick my volleys deep in the court. When I needed to, I could easily place the ball deep, and the dense 18x20 pattern helped me keep the ball skidding low off the bounce."

"The control and feel I had on my volleys with the Prestige Pro 2023 made it an excellent option for hitting with touch," Chris added. "When goofing around and hitting drop volleys, I had more instances of getting the ball to spin back over to my side of the net with this racquet than I can remember with any other racquet. I had way too much fun hitting low-percentage touch shots with this racquet to stick to smart percentage tennis. When I did punch volleys deep, I found excellent control, which allowed me to go for the lines. I liked the combination of a head-light balance for maneuverability with just enough mass to help with stability."

Control was a key takeaway for Mark. He said, "Although plushness was my main impression of the Prestige Pro 2023 at net, this racquet also felt very predictable. Absorbing passing shot pace was pretty easy, and the directional control of my volleys was outstanding."

While it isn't her preferred spec, Michelle found the Prestige Pro 2023 easy to use at the net. She explained, "This racquet was very maneuverable, and it was easy to hit good volleys with it — loads of touch to boot! Again, I do like a firmer feel, but I can appreciate and respect the touch and feel of this racquet."

Our playtesters all agreed that the Head Prestige Pro 2023 really delivered accuracy on their serves. Mark was particularly pleased here, saying, "I loved serving with this racquet! Since its name changed from MP to Prestige Pro, along with the increase in head size (95 to 98 square inches), my serve has been more fun to deliver and more difficult for my opponents to deal with."

Chris liked the accuracy and spin he achieved with this racquet. He said, "I served well with the Prestige Pro 2023, but I was a little down on pace compared to other racquets I've been hitting recently, such as my Head Speed Pro, the Prestige Tour 2023 and the Prestige Classic 2.0. I found control to be excellent, which resulted in a high level of consistency. I found spin pretty easy to generate since I could accelerate the racquet head with little effort. The control and spin I got on my serves allowed me to pick my spots and serve with lots of variety."

The accuracy Troy got on his serves impressed him. He noted, "Pinpoint precision really sums up this racquet on serves. As the story goes so far, there wasn't any turbo boost in power with this racquet. I found it to be mostly about control and precision. That said, for those who can generate pace on their serves, this racquet does help to get that heaviness on the ball with a solid amount of mass behind it. On my flat serves, I found I could pancake the ball with a lot of plow through from this Prestige Pro 2023, and although the power didn't necessarily come easily, I was rewarded with good ball speed. I struggled a bit initially on my slice and kick serves, and I wasn't getting the bite on the ball that I do with the Wilson Ultra Pro 16x19 v4. After a few sessions, I felt more comfortable generating spin on my serves, but it took more effort and focus to be as effective as I am with my more open string patterned racquets."

Michelle had a good time serving with the Prestige Pro, but she found certain aspects challenging. She said, "I enjoyed serving with this racquet, but I’ve been finding more success with racquets that offer a tad more power. I noted some issues with net clearance when I was tired or not intentional enough with getting the ball up and over the net. First serves were nice, but not as powerful as some of the other racquets I've been hitting."

Our team appreciated the control and stability they achieved when returning serves with the Head Prestige Pro 2023. Chris enjoyed getting creative with his returns. He explained, "I had fun with the Prestige Pro 2023 on returns. I found enough mass for stability against bigger serves yet still found the racquet easy to position. I felt just as confident hitting angled returns as I did driving the ball deep. My slice returns were working well, and I had fun cutting a low skidding angle return off either wing to pull the server out of position."

The return of serve is where Michelle thought this racquet excelled. She said, "The Prestige Pro benefited my return because it's so controlled and precise. It allowed me to be confident taking big swings. While the flex was low, it wasn't too noodle-y. The Prestige Pro 2023 was stable and fast through the air. It was fun going for small targets with lots of speed."

Troy appreciated the plush feel when returning serves with the Prestige Pro. He said, “Similar to when I was hitting against hard-hitting baseliners, I liked how the mass of this racquet helped me easily redirect the ball when I was returning serves. When I needed to keep it simple and block the ball back deep, this racquet allowed me to do so effectively. Against high-speed serves, I enjoyed how smooth and comfortable this racquet felt on contact. It allowed me to attack the serve with confidence without worrying about that jarring feeling I get sometimes from stiff racquets. The low power and high control of this Head Prestige Pro 2023 made it fun to go for big rips on my forehand return without fear of hitting long. I might add a little weight up in the hoop to help with power, not that it really needs more weight, but I think a little boost in power and depth could help."

With the Prestige Pro in his hands, Mark was able to attack slower serves with confidence. He described, "If the serve speed was medium to high, I relied more on my half volley style of return, which worked great. Anything slower, and I was consistently taking a more aggressive topspin cut on my return of serve."