Overview
Introducing the Phantom 97P! With this racquet Prince adds a 97 square inch model to the Phantom family. Intermediate and advanced players looking for speed, spin and control should love this one. Like other members of the Phantom series, this stick blends pinpoint accuracy with arm-friendly comfort. At over 11.5 ounces strung, the Phantom 97P feels solid against pace, but it also packs a 320 RDC swingweight, making it one of the faster and more maneuverable racquets in its class. This racquet's signature technology is an Anti-Torque System which features Textreme and Twaron in both the shaft and at 10 and 2 o'clock in the racquet's head. The result is less racquet torque at impact, resulting in a more stable and powerful hitting experience. Like other members of the Phantom series, this stick's great feel comes partly from the CTS Beam, which features an ultra thin 16.5mm shaft. Factor in the 58 RA stiffness and you have a racquet with exceptional ball feedback. From the baseline, the 97P pairs mindless precision with surprising speed and impressive comfort. The easy acceleration and open 16x18 string pattern provides the recipe for bringing the ball down hard. At net the 97P comes around fast to deliver impressive feel and touch. This stick also performs great on serve where it whips powerfully through contact to deliver extremely easy targeting. All in all, this is a very impressive addition to the Phantom series. Player's looking for classic control and modern speed should add this to their demo list. The outstanding feel at impact is a nice bonus.
Specifications
| Head Size: 97 in² / 625.81 cm² | ||||
| Length: 27in / 68.58cm | ||||
| Strung Weight: 11.8oz / 335g | ||||
| Balance: 12.5in / 31.75cm / 8 pts HL | ||||
| Swingweight: 320 | ||||
| Stiffness: 58 | ||||
| Beam Width: 20.5mm / 19.5mm / 16.5mm | ||||
| Composition: Textreme/Twaron/Graphite | ||||
| Power Level: Low | ||||
| Stroke Style: Full | ||||
| Swing Speed: Fast | ||||
| Racquet Colors: Grey-Blue | ||||
| Grip Type: Prince ResiTex Tour | ||||
String Pattern:
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| String Tension: 48-58 pounds |
Videos
Other Items to Consider
Customer Reviews
Nice control and spinUsed to play with Yonex mainly, and have demoed many different racquets. Spin and control are superb with this racquet! Downside for me is that it lacks power, but the control and mainly the spin make up for that. Strings break often (within three or four sessions) but definitely worth it. Had Tennis Warehouse weigh and match three sticks and they feel great! Thank you!
Great racquet for strong arm playersMy racket of choice is the Wilson Pro staff 6.0. Stiff, heavy, weight towards the head, and with high tension on the strings. Yes, ultra control and a feel of plow through. I have a big, traditional (old guy) swing. I was looking for something similar. The specs on the Phantom racquet seemed right so I gave it a try and found it to be a great racquet. I've only used it five times but it's enough to know that I am committed to mastering it. It's the right racquet for me. It requires an accurate connection with the ball. That is, the sweet spot is not huge but still good. I have it strung at 56 lbs. Next time I will string it at 65 as I think it will provide better feel for my game. I previously tried the Wilson Clash V2, which, no matter what I tried, I could not control the ball enough. I recommend the Prince Phantom 97P. This is a keeper.
Solid frameBought this frame to replace a Head Graphene 360+ Radical Pro. The Radical is excellent but the stiffness bothers my shoulder, especially when serving. The Phantom is very, very soft with excellent feedback on ground strokes with a good balance of spin and pace. Directional control is very precise. I don’t feel the instability that some others have reported when rallying against 4.5+ pace. Volleys are excellent and the racquet is maneuverable. Serves lose some pace but control and comfort are high. All-around excellent frame for those who like flexibility. Strung with Prince Vortex 17 at 52 lbs.
Great racquet/ grommets unavailableI played varsity tennis in high school in the early 90s . This was when widebody racquets had just come out, and settled on the Prince CTS approach 90. This racquet felt great for my aggressive power game of baseline tennis. I have always disliked the feeling of a sweet spot in racquets, and preferred it to feel kind of stiff and dead. All these years later I started playing again. Still hitting a heavy aggressive ball , and I was having trouble finding a racquet that felt right. I had it in the back of my mind I wanted a prince racquet again, but the local tennis shops didn't carry prince.... I tried quite a few racquets and settled on the Wilson blade 98. When I found prince racquets here I ordered 3 to test, and immediately knew I had found the right racquet with the phantom pro 97! Super solid feel with lots of control when swinging hard.
The only thing nevertheless about this racquet is that I break strings every 3-5 hits, and I cannot find replacement bumper and grommets ANYWHERE!
Great Players RacketGreat Players racquet with comfort. Was a Wilson Pro Staff 97 fan and got too stiff over the years. This keeps the same 97 size with a plush head lite feel!
Better 93pIt knifes like the 93P (93p 18x20 is the best but this one is a close second), it has a better string pattern than the 93P and it has more power than the 93P. There were so many good shots with this racquet. I’ll list them in order from best to least. 1) Flat/slice serve - I simply could not miss a hard flat/ slice serve. 2) High backhand volleys - no matter how high they are, this racquet makes it easy to not miss. 3) Inside out forehand - this racquet hits a heavy topspin through the court landing just inside the baseline. This shot was a winner every time. 4) Driving slice bh and fh groundstroke and volley - usually this is from a return or a shot to get back in the point. Either way, this racquet works well on hitting a cutting/ driving slice that penetrates and stays very low. 5) Topspin ohbh - any direction produces a heavy ball with spin. There is simply not another racquet that plays like it. It’s good enough for a switch. Must must demo :) NTRP 4.5
Not badI was hoping this was a good replacement for Prince Diablo 100 sq, but it was not that easy on the arm and not as stable as I would like. Prince Warrior 100, Textreme ATS Tour are much better.
Incredible spin and depth in a control frameThis racquet not only has incredible feel and control but I found surprising easy depth and spin from the baseline when hitting the sweet spot. I strung this frame with Prince Vortex at 50 and found it to play incredibly lively with no lack of power, especially on serve. Incredible feel at net with heft behind the ball, high launch angle, felt like I could not miss. Very impressed overall, 4.5 player.
Prince Phantom 97PI own the 93P, and along with Solinco Hyper-G Soft (1.30) strings at 52#'s, AND swinging at about 80%, this racquet gave me a little more topspin and control than my old Blade Countervail. Good pocketing, nice feel, serves were better and more on target. Just great to swap with the 93P while playing. Improved my game.
Best of Prince 98 and belowBeautiful, pure, clean and smooth performance with a wide head to optimize performance. The next gen model should have the performance characteristics of the 93 with a bigger sweetspot. Racquets tested as well: 2022 Textreme 95 and 98 , Synergy 98 and Ripstick which is a fun functional non all court 100 sq. inch racquet.
P is for PreferenceIn my previous review I had glowing things to say about my Phantom 93P. All true. The 97P is a great edition to my doubles game. Still precise and easy to use. Lighter. Agile. Great thin beam. A nice blend of both worlds. I bought them both and use them both. I suggest everyone do the same!
Fantastic comfort, feel, spin & control!Awesome racquet and my new favorite. Used to play with Head Prestige (Graphene Touch) and Yonex VCORE Pro 97HD. The Prince Phantom 97P combines the best of the these two racquets into one awesome package: extremely maneuverable thanks to its low swing-weight, great spin, easy power and buttery feel.
Only real con is it will eat up any multifilament string extremely rapidly, even in hybrid set up with poly. Strongly recommend going with soft co-poly strings (e.g Luxilon Element).
Previous Feedback
Comments: This racquet is the one! Does everything well for me. I'm a huge fan of the 93P, but the 97 head size works best for me. Thank you Prince for making this frame.
From: Brandon, 5/18/21Indiana
Comments: Former Pro Staff 90 player who gravitated to the flexible 97P because I no longer have a Pro Staff arm. This stick plays best for me in a full bed of polyester strung tight, because the massive spin potential will make quick work of any soft multifilament strung in the crosses. I believe that the ATS technology is no gimmick because it certainly hits above its weight class. My one gripe is that it lacks the touch and precision of a Pro Staff, especially at net. Otherwise, solid racquet.
From: Dre, 4/2/21