Prince Phantom Pro 100P Racket Review
| Groundstrokes | 83 |
| Volleys | 85 |
| Serves | 80 |
| Returns | 85 |
| Power | 75 |
| Control | 90 |
| Maneuverability | 84 |
| Stability | 84 |
| Comfort | 90 |
| Touch/Feel | 88 |
| Topspin | 86 |
| Slice | 84 |
Prince storms back onto the tennis scene with the introduction of this Phantom Pro 100P, and we couldn't wait to try it. The thin and flexible box beam produced a classic feel, reminding today's players there are other options aside from the popular, modern powerhouse frames. With just the right amount of mass, this racket felt stable against big hitters and offered a rewarding amount of plow through to put balls away. Our team also found a unique combination of power and precision with the open 16x18 string pattern, along with easy access to spin. At net, our playtesters appreciated the silky smooth feel and manoeuvrability. The lower powered response of this racket was noticeable for everyone when they went to serve, and while they couldn't access the fastest of first serves, they were impressed with the amount of spin they could generate on their craftier second serves. Overall, our team of diverse players was happy with what the Phantom Pro 100P had to offer. This racket is worth a demo for any player looking for a classic playing racket to pair with today's modern game.
Upsides
- Stability
- Comfort
- Feel
Downsides
- Nothing we could agree on
Bottom Line
This Phantom Pro 100P blends classic feel and comfort with the manoeuvrability and easier access to spin of modern rackets.
Ability
Strong intermediate to advanced
Groundstrokes - Score: 83 / 100
Our playtesters came off the court with high levels of praise when it came to the playability of the Phantom Pro 100P. Four very different players tested this racket, and each one raved about his or her experience from the baseline. The racket was fast feeling through the air but still had enough plow through for to feel solid in the hands of the playtesters. There was also easy access to spin and this allowed the playtesters to hit deep in the court and have theirs shots drop just inside the baseline. Chris raved about the feel, "The racket also offered a very pure feel and reminded me of the now classic rackets I grew up with."
Volleys - Score: 85 / 100
When coming to the net, the Phantom Pro 100P felt silky smooth and provided good stability for our team. The racket felt solid in the hands of the TW playtesters even against hard hitting opponents. The flexible, comfortable response was a standout feature among the playtesters. Troy explained, "The high level of flex in the frame allowed great feel on the ball. Drop volleys and acute angles felt natural with this racket in my hand."
Serves - Score: 80 / 100
Despite all the positives up to this point, our team struggled slightly with the Phantom Pro 100P on their serves. The lower powered response had most of them reminiscing for their current rackets of choice and they were looking for a little more free power for some free points. However, there was still plenty of spin potential for most after a small adjustment period was made. One playtester, Tiffani, never quite found her groove. She said, “With this Phantom Pro 100P, I really struggled to hit my second serve. I like to hit more spin on the second serve, and I couldn't get enough racket head speed to do this effectively. I often dropped my second serves too short when I tried to add spin. My flat serve was much better, but it's not reliable enough to use it as both a first and second serve, so I saw my double fault numbers creep up."
Serve Returns - Score: 80 / 100
Our team's experiences with the Phantom Pro 100P's stable feel and lower powered response on serve returns ranged the spectrum from positive to negative. Two playtesters were able to tap in to the Phantom Pro 100Ps full potential and were able to redirect the pace with and be precise with their targets. While the racket offered a comfortable response, the other two playtesters struggled with their consistency and ability to hit pace. They often found themselves starting the point off defensively.
Overall - Score: 85 / 100
Dislikes:
Chris - "None."
Troy - "Not quite as precise compared to usual 613 sq. cm. headsize rackets and 18x20 string patterns. I will probably tail weight it up to my usual 355 gram spec range. Leather grip, please."
Mark - "I have become very accustomed to playing with full beds of monofilament strings, and when paired with the Phantom Pro 100P, the overall power level was a little too low for my game. I might give this racket a try with a hybrid or a full bed of a synthetic gut just to coax a little extra power from the stringbed."
Tiffani - "Nothing that is the fault of this racket."
Comparing it to other rackets they've used, our testers said:
Chris - "This version of the Phantom family offers a crisper feel compared to the 100 and Pro 100. Both of those a silky smooth, whereas this one is a tad firmer and more direct in its feel. I get great precision from all three, but I feel most connected to the ball with this racket."
Troy - "The control and spin potential are similar to the Prince EXO3 Tour 100 16x18. The benefit with this racket is much more response and feel. The classic feel and response takes me back to the Donnay Pro One Oversize, but this Prince has better precision. I also found a bit of the Prince Tour Diablo Midplus feel here. This is what I feel like an old Federer Pro Staff 90 would play like in an 645 sq. cm. head size. All this racket needs is more mass in the handle and a leather grip to have the Pro Staff 90 specs, which I will soon be experimenting with."
Mark - "These days we are not seeing nearly as many traditionally constructed frames, so this racket was welcome and a high quality addition to this exclusive club. The others that I feel would make up that exclusive club are the Dunlop Srixon Revo CV 2.0 Tour, the Wilson Ultra Tour, Yonex Duel G 97 (310), the Tecnifibre TFight DC 315 LTD (16x19), Volkl V-Sense 10 Tour, and although Wilson may not have any further plans to keep the Pro Staff 97S going, it is pretty close to this racket as well."
Tiffani - "With the '100P' designation in the name, this racket begs to be compared to the Prince Textreme Tour 100P, which is currently the racket I use. Some of the specs are remarkably similar so I wouldn't go as far as to say they're worlds apart, but I do feel they're different creatures entirely. The head shape is rounder on the Phantom Pro 100P, and the beam shape is more traditional. The Textreme Tour 100P is much faster swinging and offers a more modern response, and the power comes more freely. With the Phantom Pro 100P, the power comes when I can swing it effectively. It feels more substantial when I am swinging through the ball and has more plow through. If I could figure out how to serve better with this racket, I would highly consider switching to the Phantom Pro 100P."
Playtester Profiles:
Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Tecnifibre TFlash 300 PS. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.
Troy: 4.5 lefty all-court player with a semi-western Forehand and a two-handed backhand. Troy currently plays with a Dunlop Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20.
Mark: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a one-handed backhand. He currently plays with the Wilson Blade SW104 Autograph.
Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Prince Textreme Tour 100P.
Likes:
Chris - "I loved the spin, control, feel, manoeuvrability, stability and comfort. The cosmetics are also dynamite."
Troy - "Very stable for its 310g (unstrung) weight. A solid but plush feel, combined with easy access to spin and great control considering the 645 sq. cm. head size. I have never claimed a 645 sq. cm. head size racket as my racket of choice, but this Prince Phantom Pro 100P has me contemplating it."
Mark - "Playing with a more traditional frame was a welcome change. Once I put down the more modern frame types I have been playing with lately, I really began to play well and enjoy the feel and performance of this racket. I recently have been attempting to refine my strokes, and I felt like this racket helped with that with its low level of power. It made me pay more attention to how cleanly I was striking the ball. The black and green cosmetic worked for me as well, as it is tasteful and low key. Lastly, and this is something that I cannot say about most other frames I play with, it produced a very rewarding sound at contact from its amply sized sweetspot."
Tiffani - "As someone who grew up playing with Prince CTS rackets, I loved the feel of this racket. I also enjoyed the comfort, stability and control. The cosmetics look sleek."