Prince Textreme Phantom 100 – The Narrowest Frame on the Market with a Low RA Value
The Prince Textreme Phantom 100 is the narrowest frame on the market, with a very low RA value of 60. Prince has put all its technology and know-how into this frame. Our player, Stephan, tested this unique racket and was very impressed! Read his test report here.
Tested racket:
Tester:
- Name : Stephan Couzijn
- Level : 5
- Player type : 41-year-old all-court player with an eastern grip and a one-handed backhand. Fairly flat strokes.
- Own racket : Yonex EZONE DR 98 (98 sq/inch, 310 gr, 31.0 cm balance, 16x19 string pattern)
Racket history:
- Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 95
- Wilson Six-One 95
- Head Radical
- Dunlop Aerogel 300 Tour
- Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT
- Wilson Pro Staff 95
- Wilson Juice Pro
The Prince Textreme Phantom 100 is now available in our webshop! Prince launches a whole new line of rackets with this model. Stephan was very curious about how this unique frame would play.
Prince Textreme Phantom 100 tested:
Baseline:
The first few shots from the baseline felt a bit strange. The impact of the balls on the racket is dampened, probably due to a combination of Textreme, the low RA value, and the O-ports. The racket is so arm-friendly that a dampener is actually not necessary. The feeling is similar to the Prince Textreme Tour 95 , but the frame feels different due to the ultra-slim, round design instead of box beam. This benefits the control.
After a few hours of playing, the first impression is not the best: once you get used to the frame, the Phantom 100 plays wonderfully from the baseline. The racket offers a lot of cushioning, is arm-friendly and gives just enough power and control to hit deep and heavy balls with precision. The power level of 775 seems accurate and perhaps even a bit cautious. With a full swing you can produce quite hard shots. I could pull my one-handed backhand through and the backhand slice that I could hit so precisely with the Textreme Tour 95, I can also hit the lines with this racket. In addition to precision, it is easy to hit heavy spin balls due to the open string pattern.
The stability of the racket is striking, despite the 100 sq/inch head size and the 16/18 string pattern. I have rarely seen that, except in the Prince Textreme Warrior 107 . In my opinion, this is a unique feature of Prince rackets.
Service
With the Phantom 100 you can produce razor-sharp serves. Although the power level of the frame is not very high, you can still generate speed quite easily due to the low balance (31.0 cm). However, it does require some strength or a smooth technique to deliver really big serves.
Just:
The Phantom 100 performs as expected excellently at the net. Razor sharp volleys are easy to put away, although I had to finish my technique well to generate sufficient punching power. The volleying felt wonderfully dampened and the racket is super maneuverable at the net thanks to the low balance.
Power
As mentioned before, the Phantom 100 does not offer an excessive amount of power. Due to the weight of 310 grams and the low balance, you can generate enough speed with a good technique to let the frame produce enough power. The large sweet spot and the open string pattern help to hit heavy balls close to the lines.
Control
This racket offers a lot of control with a forgiving, large sweet spot. Compared to the Textreme Tour 95, the Phantom 100 has a unique combination of control, feel and power. This gives you as a player the constant feeling that you have full control of the ball without sacrificing length in your strokes.
Comfort/Arm-friendliness:
The Phantom 100 feels extremely comfortable and gave me no arm problems. I think this is the most arm friendly racket I have played in the “Pro” category so far.
Overall Impression
It seems that Prince has put all his experience and proven technology into this frame. After my test I dare to say that Prince has introduced a whole new generation of rackets with the Textreme Phantom 100 that can determine the future. The unique ball feel of the Textreme material, the low RA value, the large sweet spot, the spin potential through the O-ports and the open string pattern, and the control of the ultra-slim frame make this racket really special.
The color and glossy finish add to the mystical look of this brilliant racket. I expect we will see the Phantom line back on Tour soon. The quality of this racket is unmatched and deserves attention!
The Prince Textreme Phantom 100 is now available in our webshop, including free stringing of your choice!