Prince Textreme Beast 98 Racket Review
| Groundstrokes | 83 |
| Volleys | 83 |
| Serves | 83 |
| Returns | 84 |
| Power | 85 |
| Control | 78 |
| Maneuverability | 78 |
| Stability | 86 |
| Comfort | 82 |
| Touch/Feel | 82 |
| Topspin | 79 |
| Slice | 81 |
Like a wild animal, the Prince Textreme Beast 98 contained a wealth of raw power; the difficulty for our playtesters was just figuring out how to harness it. Luckily, with the 632 sq. cm. head and 324 swingweight, this racket swung quickly enough through the air to generate ample spin, which landed some of that natural power inside the lines. And if the spin wasn't sufficient to drop the ball, the coveted 16x20 string pattern certainly helped with targeting and precision. All of our playtesters found the Beast 98 perfect for trading heavy groundstrokes from the back of the court, and the extra heft from the tapered beam translated to rock-solid stability at net. If there were a chink in the Beast 98's armor, it was the manoeuvrability, although our playtesters had disagreements over whether this was a salient criticism. One thing was for certain, however; if you are a player looking to add some extra power and like a crisp, responsive feel, the Beast 98 needs to be in your demo queue.
Upsides
- Loaded with power and spin
- More responsive than the O Port version
Downsides
- Can be difficult to control in point play
Bottom Line
The Beast 98 is a useful tool for hitting a big and heavy ball in the hands of intermediate to advanced players.
Ability
Intermediate to advanced
Groundstrokes - Score: 83 / 100
From the ground, the Beast 98 extended our playtesters explosive spin and pace, especially for a player's frame. From the start, the TW playtesters were in agreement that the racket offered an impressive blend of power and control from the baseline leaning more towards the power department. The playtesters were able to get their groundstrokes deep in the court with very little effort. For the most part, the racket was maneuverable while still offering a solid amount of plough through. Chris went in to detail, explaining, "When I really stepped in and took a good whack at the ball, I got plenty of heat without having to worry about the ball flying long. I liked the feel and control I had. I could tell how much I was getting on the ball, and that allowed me to flirt with the lines. The stringbed offered a very consistent response, which further helped my confidence with the racket.”
Volleys - Score: 83 / 100
The crisp and lively feel of the Beast 98 was demonstrative in the forecourt, where our playtesters felt comfortable and confident attacking. The playtesters employed a simple point and shoot mentality with the racket. For most of the playtesters, the Beast 98 was easy to get into place even on quick reaction volleys in doubles. It still offered enough feel to hit a variety of volleys including shorter, angled volleys and remained comfortable . Hannah detailed, "I just had to set my racket out in front and my volleys were effective, precise and landed deep in the court with this Beast 98. I really liked volleying with this racket, and during point situations I know that I would have no trouble executing from the net.“
Serves - Score: 83 / 100
It should come as no surprise that the animalistic Beast 98 was engineered to add some extra pop on the serve. Flat first serves were popular amongst the playtesters thanks to the easy access to power. Although, some playtesters noted a drop in consistency and others were left wanting more spin. Sean remarked, "This thing was definitely a beast on serves. Huge spin and power were consistent themes here. I think with some more serving practice, I could use this racket really effectively and actually make my serve a weapon, which it generally is not. Like most thicker-beamed rackets, I was shanking more of my kick serves because the frame was standing out a bit."
Serve Returns - Score: 84 / 100
On returns, the Prince Beast 98 continued to be a solid and powerful weapon, although its reliability was brought into question with some of our playtesters. There was at times too much power, and the playtesters were needing to adjust to avoid overhitting their returns. However, TW playtester Michelle found success with her aggressive style of play. She said, "As a player who really tries to make a statement on the return, I liked how easy it was to attack with authority. If I was given a weak serve, I could really swing big and be aggressive to put me in an offensive position right away. I was confident stepping up against second serves as well and found my targeting to be precise. Even on bigger first serves that had me pulled off the court, I was enjoying good stability and the ability to get the ball back deep enough to stay in the point. "
Overall - Score: 82 / 100
Dislikes:
Sean - "Conversely, there were many times where I wished the Beast 98 would have less power and be more maneuverable. "
Michelle - "Not much to not like here! I definitely would enjoy customizing this racket to make it just a little more head heavy, but I honestly think in stock form, it was more solid than I expected it."
Hannah - "It was hard to get enough spin to get the ball to drop in the court. I'd describe it as one dimensional in some aspects."
Chris - "None. This racket felt right in the middle of my preferred spec range."
Comparing it to other rackets they've used, our testers said:
Sean - "I think it's important to compare the Beast 98 to the Beast O3 98. The solid beam felt crisper and more responsive and probably had more torsional stability and plough through. The O3 98 was more maneuverable and had a softer and more even response from the stringbed. Both feel like modern power frames."
Michelle - "Before playtesting this racket, we just finished the Dunlop Srixon Revo CV 3.0 F Tour playtest, and these two rackets played similarly for me. Both are in a similar spec range with the Beast 98 having an extra cross string, which I appreciated. The Beast 98 may play even more comfortably as well. It had a nice feel at impact without any harsh vibrations outside the sweetspot. I really enjoyed both of these rackets."
Hannah - "Compared to similar modern rackets in this spec range that have this much power and a stiffer response, I'd say this racket has more of a classic feel because it isn't dampened and the material in the upper hoop just feels a little more bulky in terms of manoeuvrability. Compared to the Beast O3 98, I prefer this solid beam version's feel and response, and the stability it offers is special in its class. These upsides come into play at the net and on serves especially. Besides the feel, however, I would choose the O3 version for its playability over this solid beam. The Port Holes allotted more spin and control from all areas of the court, and I didn't feel so limited in terms of shot selection."
Chris - "The Beast 98 is comparable to the Babolat Pure Strike 16x19, Dunlop Srixon Revo CV 3.0 F Tour and Yonex EZONE DR 98 Blue. All offer a more controlled and feel oriented approach to the modern player's racket."
Playtester Profiles:
Sean: Open level counterpuncher with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. He currently plays with the Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (310).
Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph.
Hannah: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Strike 16x19 (Project One7).
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.
Likes:
Sean - "I thought the Beast 98 felt great on balls where I had enough time to really set up and supply my own power. "
Michelle - "All around a solid racket. Easy to impart power, spin and precision on my groundstrokes. Surprisingly stable when I was reaching and needed to tap into my defensive game. Nice touch at the net."
Hannah - "It's stable, crisp response and easy power make are a good fit for offensive players."
Chris - "I liked the comfort, feel, control, level of power and the manoeuvrability."