Prince Phantom Review 2024

I was a big fan of the Prince Phantoms from 2020, especially the 100X 305 and 100P. Has something changed for this Prince Phantom Review 2024?

The Prince Phantom is all about thin beams, low flex, and a buttery feel. Lovers of old-school racquets tend to find plenty to love about this line. But what is new for the 2024 edition besides the military-inspired green cosmetic?

Tech

Several technologies from its predecessors remain in the 2024 Phantoms. The ATS, or Anti-Torque System, is located at 10 and 2 in the head, which is supposed to add stability. This time Zylon, a synthetic polymer has been added to the Textreme layup to further enhance stability.

You immediately feel the changes when playing with this racquet. The nice, soft feel and excellent pocketing remain, but you notice the improved stability, which increases the racquet’s sweet spot and makes this 2024 Phantom more forgiving overall. I also felt like I got a tad more power with the new Phantoms, which is helpful, since it is not exactly a racquet focused on getting free depth.

Racquets

There are bunch of new racquets for the 2024 Phantoms and I tested pretty much all of them in this Prince Phantom review.

Prince Phantom 100X 290 Review

Let’s start with the lighter option of the 100X that comes in 290, 305 and 320 grams unstrung specifications.

This racquet is more stable than the 290 grams unstrung weight can lead you to believe. Thanks to the mass in the head of this racquet, it plays with pretty solid feel. 317 strung swing weight is respectable and will allow players who want a light static weight to still have a racquet that can generate some power and be stable enough when blocking back shots.

The feel is very nice, a tad more muted than the predecessor, but a worthy tradeoff as I got more power and better stability. There was no area in my game that I felt was hampered by the Phantom 100X, just an overall excellent performer for a 100 sq inch control racquet. I could liken it to the HEAD Gravity MP in that it plays with a good balance of power and control and remains easy to swing.

The 290 is a good option for intermediate players looking for control without increasing their weight or decreasing their head size. To make it work better for me, I matched it to the 305-gram Phantom by adding weight to the handle. After adding around the missing 15 grams, the racquets played identically. I did also add some weight to the hoop for my match play. 2 grams at 3, 2 grams at 9 and 2 grams at 12 and then it is ready for me to take into a tournament. It was nice also in stock form, but against big hitters (ex-pros, advanced club players) the racquet needed a bit more power.

The thin beam makes it work perfectly for me and is fast enough despite adding weight to it.

Prince Phantom 100X 305 Review

This racquet requires a bit more from the user than the 290, but there is not a huge difference between them as the molds and layups are the same. The 305 basically has 15 grams of weight added to the handle. So if you like a more head-light balance and a bit more weight, I think the 305 is the way to go.

I can add that the 16/18 string patterns of the 290 and 305 are not very open and still control the ball well on flatter shots. You can play both flatter and spinny with this racquet, and it’s more versatile than the 320-gram version.

Since I matched my 305 and 290 after the test period, I also ended up adding 5-6 grams to the hoop of the 305. The reason is that despite being excellent also in stock form, I did lack a little bit of stability and power at times. When customized a little above 330 SW, it’s close to perfect for me as it reminds me of my old Prestige MP 2019, but with more forgiveness and power. It still knifes the slice feel and provides good feel and comfort.

You won’t get the power of Yonex Ezones or the spin of Babolat Aeros, this racquet is more about control and balance.

Prince Phantom 100X 320 Review

This is the heaviest racquet in the Phantom line-up and requires an advanced player to move it properly. You do notice the improved directional control with the 18/20 string pattern, but this also means it is less helpful for achieving spin.

I feel like the previous Phantom 320 was a bit too flexy and difficult to generate pace with. This one is more stable and offers better energy transfer to the ball. The launch angle is clearly lower than the 16/18, but with the right swing speed and motion you can still generate good rotations on the ball. The thin CTS beam of these racquets make them move really fast. As a lover of thin beams, I am a bit biased here, but personally this is my cup of tea.

I was in two minds whether I preferred the 16/18 or the 18/20. On hard courts, I felt like it was easier for me to play against strong players with the 18/20 due to the lower trajectory and higher static weight providing excellent stability (I did not feel the need to customize this one). But when I was tired or tight, I struggled to get this moving as fast, and it felt more string-sensitive and offered a little less pocketing than the 16/18. Don’t string too high on an 18/20 because it is easy to turn it in a brick wall. A softer, shaped poly can help achieve good pocketing and lift.

In the end, I think the customized 305 suits me a bit better, but I keep both in the bag for days when I need more control and stability instead of more spin potential and playability.

Prince Phantom 100P

On paper, this looked like the most enticing racquet for me before I tried it mainly because I loved the predecessor and was close to switching to it with its addicting buttery feel and the classic box beam.

This new version, with added Zylon, is also more stable, a tad more powerful, and forgiving than its predecessor. However, it is still a scalpel and requires a strong player to use it to the fullest.

The 100P suits flatter hitters and more traditional players who crave a thin box beam feel. It reminds you a bit of the legend of the Pro Staff 85 with that cross-section, but it is a lot more forgiving. I liked this one a lot, too, but I felt like it worked a bit better on flatter strokes than the 100X, while the 100X felt more natural on spin shots and, therefore, more versatile. I think, however, it is a matter of taste. Leah, who tried all these racquets with me, liked this one the most. She even contemplated switching from her Wilson Blade 104 V7, but in the end felt like 104 gave her a bit more on her shots.

The 100P remains excellent and quite addictive to play with. It truly belongs with the Phantom 100X, but these days, I prefer the CTS beam over the box beam as I play more on clay.

I did feel a bit more forgiveness and ease-of-use with the 100X 290/305 over this one, where this one played closer to the 100X 18/20.

Prince Phantom 107

This racquet is inspired by the iconic Prince Original Graphite OS, but is lighter, faster and more user-friendly. The feel is great, but I did immediately feel that I wanted a bit more weight on this one and when I added it, I struggled a little with control. The 107 sq inch, pancake head does take some getting used to, but it plays with the same buttery feel as the other phantoms.

This is the most user-friendly racquet in this Prince Phantom Review but also the toughest one to control. Maybe a denser string pattern would have helped it maintain some better control. Still, a fun racquet to use and something that could work well in doubles, since it is quite forgiving with its large head size.

Summary

It’s a joyous moment for a play-tester when it turns out that all the racquets in a new line are enjoyable and an upgrade over their predecessors. This is the case with the new Prince Phantoms. Overall, just an excellent line of racquets. They took something good and improved up the stability and power to make the racquets more user-friendly.

My favorite ended up being the 100X 305 customized and since I have matched the 290 with my 305 using the Metortune, I could easily take this frame into a tournament. Maybe alongside the 100X 320, if I get tight and need more control.

There is nothing wrong with the 100P, which maintains a lovely feel and control. It is just a little less spin-oriented than the 100X.

The 107 was a fun racquet to hit with, but personally my least favorite as I lacked some stability and felt like the balls could sail a bit with the 16/19 pattern. Maybe more of a veteran doubles racquet or something.

You could check out these Prince Phantom racquets from our friends at Tennis Warehouse Europe, Tennis Warehouse, and Tennis Only, where you’ll find the best tennis racquets. Remember that you get 10% off if you buy anything from TWE using the code TNERD10, except for Asics and heavily discounted products.

Overall, a great update. This one stays in the bag. Approved by Tennisnerd!