Mantis a smaller brand that creates good racquets for a more budget-conscious audience. This is my Mantis 300 racquet review.
The Mantis 300 is not only called 300, but I did for simplicity’s sake. It’s actually called Mantis 300 PS III and you can read more about it on the All Things Tennis website. All Things Tennis were kind enough to send a demo to Malta (which I then send back) and they will offer 5% off and a free stringing if you buy a racquet using the code TENNISNERD. But back to my Mantis 300 Racquet Review.
The Mantis 300 has the most common spec on the market these days. 300 grams unstrung, 32 cm balance, 16×19 string pattern, and a 100 sq inch head size. The stiffness is a little bit lower than your typical Pure Drive-spec, it’s 70 RA unstrung, which puts it down to around 67 with strings. This makes the Mantis 300 more comfortable and a little bit lower powered than many other racquets in this range.
There are not fancy technologies in this frame. It’s just a high-modulus carbon frame. The Mantis 300 has previously won some recognition such as: ‘Best Value for Money’ award (Tennishead magazine, Advanced Player category – 2011 & 2015). I can see why. The racquet plays really nice and with a price tag currently around 100 EUR/USD/GBP, it’s definitely worth a look for players looking for good quality for less money.
How does it play?
I did this Mantis 300 racquet review using the Mantis Comfort string strung at 55 lbs or 25 kg. It’s not the most durable string, but nice and soft on the arm. The racquet and string complimented each other well and I find this to be an excellent comfort for a player improvement/tweener frame. You get some power and spin, but the comfort is still great and far exceeds a Pure Drive for example.
I couldn’t get quite the same power in stock form as the above-mentioned racquet though so this frame requires a bit more from the user. Personally, I find that refreshing for a racquet with these specs. The +70 RA is rarely good for the arm or wrist, but with the Mantis 300 I had no issues with discomfort.
The marketing lingo says:
The MANTIS R&D department was given a significant challenge to try and improve this latest racket even further. We conducted intensive testing to provide a racket with a softer feel at ball contact and just a little extra power by increasing the swing weight whilst still maintaining its excellent balance. This superb blend was achieved by adjusting the frame ‘lay-up’ (how the racket is constructed and where the carbon fiber is strategically positioned).
I always come in skeptical to any review. I have played hundreds of racquets and it takes a lot to wow me. Although this racquet didn’t give me that WOW-factor, it surprised me with its playability and feel. I felt connected to the ball, got above-average control for a frame in this category, and really enjoyed hitting with it. There is plenty to like here. And with the swing weight around 318 strung, I would also have some room to customize the racquet if I wanted to.
Summary
The Mantis 300 PS III is a nice frame for intermediate players or coaches who want some easy power and spin (but not too much) without breaking the arm. The launch angle is pretty controlled, the feel is responsive and the comfort is good. For the price, it’s an excellent deal.
Have you tried the Mantis 300 or other Mantis frames?
