Prince Textreme Beast O3 98 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 82

The Textreme Beast O3 98 let our playtesters hit powerful groundstrokes loaded with spin. It was fast enough for our team to set up for long swings, but also remained stable against big hitters. Plus, the O3 technology helped soften harsh contact outside of the large sweetspot. This racquet surprised Chris with how quickly it swung from the baseline. He said, "It was noticeably faster than the solid beam Beast 98. This racquet felt better suited to whipping the ball with spin, whereas the solid beam drove through the ball slightly better. Compared to my Tecnifibre TFlash 300 PS, the Textreme Beast O3 98 offered a lower trajectory. It was still very easy to generate spin, but my shots didn't quite have the same high trajectory and quick drop inside the lines. I aimed a little higher with this Beast to get better arc and net clearance. With that small adjustment my angles, lobs and passing shots felt dialed in. The feel from the stringbed was very soft, and the comfort was superb. This racquet offered a delightfully plush response even with a full bed of poly. No matter the situation, the Beast O3 98 felt very, very forgiving."

Michelle admitted that she preferred the standard Beast 98 to the O Port version for a few reasons. She said, "This O3 version felt much faster through the air; it weighed slightly less, but felt even lighter than its weight. I liked how quickly it whipped through the ball, but I personally prefer a heavier feel. The light, whippy frame just didn't match up well with my flatter, driving groundstrokes. However, at contact the ball felt nice and really sank into the stringbed. I could really accelerate through the ball by swinging big and fast. Honestly, it's a matter of personal preference, but I just found the standard Beast 98 to feel a bit more solid and stable from all areas of the court, including groundstrokes. I enjoyed drilling with the Beast O3 98, but definitely noticed that it was too quick and powerful for me going into point play. It was just too fast, and there wasn't enough plow through or weight for me. I noticed my point of contact was off because I was accelerating too quickly, and I had to slow my swing down or change my swing mechanics. Despite the specs, I didn't have enough mass behind the ball and I made errors as a result of it."

The O Ports affected Hannah's shot selection. She explained, "When I was at the baseline it was easier to get the spin I needed for my balls to drop in the court with the Beast O3 98. Like the solid beam version, I still found really easy depth and power right off the bat, but the O Ports allowed me to ramp up the racquet head speed and get some extra action on my shots. Whether I was adding height to roll the ball deep or seeking out an angle, this racquet offered good options besides just driving the ball. Although the feel is more muted and there isn't as solid a connection to the ball with this version, my consistency was noticeably better. The opportunity for offensive shots remained intact, but I found that with this version I had more control. I also found the stability to be comparable to the solid beam version. Scraping for balls at my feet and on the run was really nice with this racquet, so I could stay in points fairly long. The major downside of the O Ports is that I lost the classic sound and crisp feel I get from the solid beam."

Sean noticed the quicker, dampened feel of the Beast O3 98 on his groundstrokes. He said, "The O Ports really evened out and muted the stringbed, which was great when I missed the sweetspot. However, it was problematic when I started requiring more precision during point play, because I couldn't really feel the ball on the strings. That being said, I enjoyed the amount of power and spin I was getting when trading heavy groundstrokes, and I thought the racquet absorbed pace well. It had above-average plow through, so much so that I felt out of control when I wasn't properly set up and balanced."

Volleys - Score: 85

Our team found the Textreme Beast O3 98 snappy and user friendly at the net. Volleys were the high point of the playtest for Michelle. She said, "I loved this racquet at net. I think it's because it was so maneuverable and quick; I always had the racquet in position and had enough time to impart my own power or block the ball back. Despite struggling with the lighter feel at the baseline, it was solid and stable at net. I could also get creative and carve out droppers or get the ball moving off the court when I wanted to. First volleys were going nice and deep, and I felt in control of points as I pushed my opponent back."

Hannah experienced a bit of a tradeoff on volleys. She commented, "I found the O Port technology to lend itself to a comfortable volley experience unlike any other racquet. Something about the flex or the interaction with the strings gave me that feeling of the ball staying on my strings longer, which provided incredible control and feel. The downside, however, is that the ideal stability I got with the solid beam version was diminished with the O Ports. Before I started playing points with the Beast O3 98 I had convinced myself that I would have a tougher time ending points at the net and executing my shots because I wasn't sure about the power level. Despite my mentality, I have to say that the performance during point play was better than I expected, and I never had trouble ending points."

The muted and even stringbed served Sean well when volleying. He said, "I enjoyed how comfortable and fast this racquet felt, and I was surprised by how well it absorbed pace for those dead stop droppers that can be a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine."

Chris agreed that the soft and comfortable response made this racquet great for volleys. He added, "Like other O3 racquets, the feel was muted, but once I got used to it I was able to be precise with my touch shots. There was enough power to help me volley deep with ease. I also found the racquet solid enough to handle plenty of incoming pace."

Serves - Score: 78

Our playtesters were split when it came to serving with the Textreme Beast O3 98. Despite not being impressed by the specs on paper, Hannah was surprised to find that she really loved serving with this racquet. She explained, "I expected to lose a lot of control and consistency with the O3 version of the Beast, but that didn't happen. I actually had better consistency on serves and was hitting slice serves into the body that I couldn't successfully execute with the regular version. To my own disbelief, my flat serves were even precise, and I could place them up the T with ease. One of the major benefits of the O Ports was the relief I got on my shoulder and my arm. Again, though, the O3 version might not be for players looking for a connected feel and lively feedback on their serves. My results on serve didn't reflect my usual preference for a more connected feel in this category."

"To be up front, I didn't really like how this racquet performed on serves," critiqued Sean. "I thought the frame was too thick, and I often shanked my spin serves when I made contact anywhere outside the middle of the racquet. I don't think the shape of the tapered frame moved very smoothly or quickly through the air, and I wasn't getting enough natural power from the racquet to make up for that."

Chris found that he served pretty well with the Beast O3 98. He said, "I was missing a little bit of pace compared to my Tecnifibre, but the pace I found was decent enough. The racquet felt fast and I liked the amount of spin I could generate. The spin made it possible to keep the ball inside the lines when staying on the gas. Both my slice serves out wide and into the body of the returner were working well. I was able to get enough grip on the ball to get some nice action on those serves. I also thought the racquet's maneuverability payed off during tougher matches and training sessions, as I felt like I could still swing it fast even when I was feeling spent."

"I can't say I was serving my best with this racquet," said Michelle. "I just wasn't hitting big first serves. I did feel pretty confident picking up the spin and kick on second serves, but there were times when I felt I couldn't attack the ball aggressively enough. The racquet certainly got into position quickly, and it remained maneuverable on serves. I think I was most effective at adding slice to my serves out wide, and then trying to mix it up on the deuce side when my opponent was expecting a flat T serve."

Returns - Score: 82

Our playtesters all agreed that it was fun to impart speed and spin on the ball when returning with the Textreme Beast O3 98. Sean thought the Beast O3 98 handled the pace and spin of big serves well. He said, "I found it much easier to return first serves than seconds because the Beast O3 98 was better at blocking the ball back then taking full cuts. I felt the beam was a bit thick and the ball would spray when I went after my second server returns."

"This was an easy racquet for hitting serve returns," said Chris. "A lot of the things I like about my TFlash 300 PS were present here: fast feel, easy spin, solid power and a generous sweetspot. I liked taking a good cut at returns when given the opportunity, and found plenty of spin to help me to get my shots to drop inside the lines. The feel from the stringbed was very comfortable, even when I didn't hit my return cleanly. I also liked the general response; the power level had a nice gradual drop off outside of the sweetspot, which gave the racquet a very consistent feel."

Similarly to how things went with her groundstrokes, Michelle found the Textreme Beast O3 98 to be too fast and whippy for her play style. She said, "This is obviously very subjective, and it might even be a positive for other players, but it just didn't work with my game. There were several times that I caught the ball too far out in front and missed a shot by a couple of inches that I wouldn't normally miss; the second I got the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph back in my hands, my return came back."

Hannah thought there was good maneuverability when returning. She said, "I could return through the middle of the court with a good amount of confidence, and at no point did I feel like the stability was compromised. That said, this still wasn't my favorite racquet to return with. It was adequate on return, and I wouldn't really knock any particular aspect of it — it just never felt like a weapon when I stepped up to the baseline, and I did find myself shanking a few more shots than normal. This may have something to do with the muted feel."

Overall - Score: 81