The long awaited Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 tested by Mike! This racket combines control and more than enough power with stability and nice comfort. Without a doubt one of the best new releases of this year!
Already a whole year ago I had the opportunity to test the black prototype of this new ATS Textreme Tour 98. I liked it so much that I couldn't wait for the release of this racket. Now it's finally here, fortunately!
Technology:
For this update of the Tour series, Prince again uses the well-known Textreme technology with Twaron as with the 2nd generation Tours. New is the addition of ATS or the Anti Torque System. The Textreme itself already gives a very stable playing feel, without feeling stiff. The added ATS technology is placed around the heart piece and at the top of the blade. This makes the racket feel even more stable. This combined with a nice low RA (stiffness) of 62, ensures excellent comfort and ball feel.
The prototype of the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 as previously tested by me.
Tested racket/specifications:
Brand: Prince Model: ATS Textreme Tour 98 Head size: 98 sq/inch Weight: 305 gr Balance: 31.5 cm Stringing pattern: 16×19 Length: 27 inch RA: 62 Beam: 23mm / 23mm / 20mm Swingweight: 325 Stringing: Diadem Pro X 17 at 22/21 kg.Tester:
Name: Mike Playing strength: 4/4 Player type: somewhat classic player, flat groundstrokes, does not generate a lot of spin himself. Had shoulder problems in the past. Player's racket history: Head Ti Fire, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince EXO3 Rebel Team, Wilson Steam 100 BLX2, Head Graphene Radical MP, Prince Textreme Warrior 107 , Diadem Elevate FS 98, Tecnifibre T-Fight RS 300 and Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7. Other favorite rackets: Head Speed MP 2022 and the Babolat Pure Strike 100 .
Test scores Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98:
Power: 8 Control: 8.5 Spin: 7.5 Comfort: 8.5 Agility/Speed: 8 Touch: 9
Baseline:
What immediately stands out with the first strokes from the baseline is how stable this racket feels. The racket has a nice direct control over the ball, without feeling too stiff. The Tour series at Prince is all about control, and so is this ATS Tour 98. However, the rackets are not as low-powered as the Phantoms. On the contrary! If you have the ball well on the blade and pull through, you can get solid (controlled) power from this racket. It is a lot to deal out from the baseline without having to worry about losing control quickly. The balance between power and control is excellent in that respect! Another nice playing characteristic is the touch/playing feel. This was particularly noticeable with my slice backhands. They were easy and sharp to cut with a lot of feeling. The swingweight of 325 also suits me like a glove: the plough-through is wonderful, the racket very solid, but still easy to get round.
The spin potential is solid with this ATS Tour 98. I also needed some spin to be able to control the power of this racket. The racket therefore contains more (controllable) power than expected. Finally, the sweet spot, which feels more generous than most 98 sq/inch rackets. When I tested this racket in the prototype format, I first thought it was a 100 sq/inch racket. So the sweet spot is a bit more generous than most competitors.
Service:
Just like the Head Speed MP 2022 I tested earlier, this Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 also offers a nice bit of service power. The balls come through easily if you let the racket move smoothly around on technique. The kick service also comes off easily, partly due to the warm weather and the dry courts;) But seriously: serving is pleasant with this Tour 98.Net Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98:
At the net, the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 is a reliable tool. On the one hand, the racket is very solid for hard incoming balls. On the other hand, the racket also has a nice touch for stop volleys. Due to the low 31.5 balance, the racket is also easy to maneuver.
Power/control:
The balance between power and control is excellently taken care of in this racket, compliments to Prince! The ATS Tour 98 has the control you would expect from a Tour racket. However, the racket also has enough power to be able to play with pressure. This was particularly noticeable from the baseline. Smash shots can also be put away confidently and firmly.Comfort/arm friendliness :
I tested this racket with the Diadem Pro X 17 stringing, quite a spicy and direct string which by the way goes very well with this racket. Even with this setup (I went a bit lower in kilos: 22/21 kg) the comfort was excellent. Because the frame feels so solid and twists little and because of the nice low RA the comfort is excellently taken care of. And that is really a distinguishing feature of the ATS Textreme Tour 98!
