The Prestige Classic is back! Prestige fans rejoice. Here is our HEAD Prestige Classic 2.0 Review and man, it’s nice to see it again.
HEAD Prestige Classic 2.0 Review
The Prestige Classic 600 is an icon among racquet aficionados. A racquet used by tennis legends like Goran Ivanisevic and Marat Safin, as well as tennis nerds worldwide. Sure, the 89.5 sq inch racquet head will be demanding in the modern, more spin and power-focused game of tennis, but it’s still such a joy to hit with this stick.
You can buy this racquet at Tennis Warehouse.
So far, I have only tested this racquet with a multifilament string, but that is really how it SHOULD be played. The excellent HEAD Velocity MLT 1.30 black and 1.25 natural. If you want a control-oriented multifilament string (arm-friendly!), HEAD Velocity is one of the best on the market. Maybe I will test it with a poly or a hybrid string setup later on, for a bit more spin potential. But talking about spin, you can actually swing this racquet head so fast thanks to the small head size, that spin is not hard to come by.
Specifications
Regarding the head size measurement, HEAD used to measure the frame from the outside, while other manufacturers did the inside. That is why 93 sq inches, is really more like 89.5 here. This changed when they moved over to Graphene racquets, but even the Radical Pro IG edition, which is said to be 98, is more like a 95.
| Head Size: 93 in / 600 cm | ||
| Length: 27in / 68.58cm | ||
| Strung Weight:12.3oz / 349g | ||
| Balance: 12.38in / 31.45cm / 9 pts HL | ||
| Swingweight: 328 | ||
| Stiffness: 61 | ||
| Beam Width: 19.5mm / 19.5mm / 19.5mm | ||
| Composition: Graphite | ||
| Power Level: Low | ||
| Stroke Style: Full | ||
| Swing Speed: Fast | ||
| Racquet Colors: Red | ||
| Grip Type: LEATHER! | ||
String Pattern:
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How does it play?
The racquet is butter on impact. On attack, you can whip up some aggressive shots and count on pinpoint precision from the small frame. There is little power here, but you can’t complain about control and feel.
It performs surprisingly well, still, so many years later, when you’re aggressive. But as soon as you need to get on the defense, that is when the head size and difficulty level of the racquet can be too punishing.
But playing with this racquet brings a smile to my face. It’s just fun! I won’t bring it into a tournament match, but for a warm-up or a fun hitting session with a buddy – why not?
How does it compare to the Prestige Classic 600?
The re-issue of the HEAD Pro Tour 2.0 was great, but it did not quite have the plushness of the HEAD Pro Tour 630. It played a bit stiffer, more like an old Radical MP. In the case of the Prestige Classic 2.0, I struggle to detect a difference from the original. It offers the same classic feel, not too soft, not too stiff. Kind of just perfect. Like the Wilson Pro Staff 85. There is a reason those racquets still garner so much love.
Summary
If you love classic racquets, old school feel, or just want an icon to put on your wall. This is it. It’s a beauty in terms of design and playability. I talked to HEAD about the idea of bringing these legends back some years ago and I’m happy to see it happen. I’m sure I’m not alone!
Check out this racquet at Tennis Warehouse alongside the new Prestige 2023 racquets.
4 comments
The reason why I switched from prestige classic ( now playing prestige mid 360) was no built in vibration damping that caused in my case many minor injuries. Is the new prestige classic 2.0 a remake of an old one or includes some new technologies that helps avoiding injuries?
Thanks for this review. The Head Presstige Classic 600 is such a beauty. I learned tennis with it. Good to see it is back as a Prestige Classic 2.0. Regarding the Head Pro Tour 630, I actually like better the Pro Tour 2.0 than the original. I find the original way too soft while the re-release in 2020 is spot on ??
I understand what you mean by preferring the 2020 over the old one. The Pro Tour 630 is very flexible and tougher to use.
Great review!! I love my Youtek Prestige Mid and is my racket of choice, even though it’s technically a 89sqin. They are becoming harder to source now and that poses quite an issue for me. I play mostly flat but I am an aggressive player and like to end points as quickly as possible. The feel of my youtek is like no other made in my opinion however as mentioned, I am trying to find something similar as they are hard ti find. Would you deem the classic 2.0 a valid replacement? I have been considering the cx200 tour 18×20 but feel that even with customisation and increasing the swing weight and overall static weight to match my current 330g unstrung, it just won’t be near the same and stiffer. Any suggestion welcome and thank you! :)