Prince Phantom Pro 93P Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

The Prince Phantom Pro 93P sports a classic player's racquet spec (midsize head, 12.2-ounce weight, 61 RA, 18x20 string pattern, thin beam, leather grip), and our testing squad set out to see how a racquet with these old-school features fared in today's game. It took some time, but once Troy found his rhythm, he was able to take advantage of the Phantom Pro 93P's aggressive potential. He explained, "The point-and-shoot predictability of this Phantom Pro 93P allowed me to swing freely from the baseline. I haven't found this level of precision and feel since hitting with racquets like the Wilson Pro Staff 90 and the Volkl Power Bridge 10 Mid. The last seven racquets that I've reviewed have all had 16x19 string patterns, so I had to make some slight adjustments to my groundstrokes. The ball was coming off the strings with very little spin. I was struggling to lift the ball over the net with heavy topspin on my approach shots, though I was able to dial in the launch angle after a hitting session or two. I loved taking aggressive swings and flattening out my groundstrokes with this racquet. The Phantom Pro 93P was a gem any time I was in a position to dictate play with my groundstrokes, but when I was in a defensive position well behind the baseline it was more difficult to muster an effective shot compared to my Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330). My slice backhands with this racquet were 'dirty,' as Chris would say; I was able to drive them deep in the court with good pace and keep them skidding low off the bounce. The feel was solid on contact and held up to heavy paced shots. For coming in with an average strung stiffness RA of 61, I didn't find this racquet overly flexible or lacking in stability."

Chris felt that the Phantom Pro 93P invited him to get crafty from the baseline. He said, "The Phantom Pro 93P offered a feel that was full of old-school, silky-smooth goodness from the baseline. I loved the racquet's response; my touch shots were on fire during this playtest. I also liked the way it drove through the ball when I took a full swing. The only time I got into trouble with the Phantom Pro 93P was when I had to defend quickly and didn't have time to get the racquet moving. When I was able to set up I got great spin, control and feel, and I could use the racquet's mass to generate power. I loved hitting backhands with this racquet, and it came around quickly on my topspin groundstrokes. The midsize head seemed to cut through the air effortlessly. I found a very forgiving feel for a mid. The sweetspot felt especially big, stretching out toward three and nine. The response from the upper hoop was also good, with some nice power extending toward the upper portion of the stringbed."

Although the Phantom Pro 93P's specs aren't usually Michelle's cup of tea, she found a lot to like. She said, "The lower powered response and denser string pattern was actually beneficial to my game. It had nearly identical power numbers to my Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, which I think was because I felt confident hitting out with this racquet. I could really swing big and hit specific targets on the court. The 93 square-inch head size actually felt bigger than I was expecting, and the sweetspot was large. I was surprised that I could get the ball deep as well. The 18x20 string pattern wasn't as tight as I thought it would be, and I was still getting good spin on my flatter shots. My PlaySight data shows that my spin numbers were higher with this racquet than with the RF97 or the Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330). There are two main issues that kept me from truly loving this racquet off the ground. I prefer stiff, solid racquets that block balls back well when I'm on the defensive, so when I'm pulled wide I can stab at the ball and get it back into the court relatively deep. The lower flex on this racquet didn't allow me to do that; when I was pulled wide and threw my racquet out it would flop over a bit and I would wind up with a shorter ball that my opponent could attack. The second issue I had was the lower power level. When I was playing someone who hit a flat ball that penetrated the court hard and fast it was tough for me to keep up power-wise. Although I could still hit deep, explosive shots, they just didn't pack enough power. I was craving a bit more mass in the hoop to be truly effective with what I do best in my game — penetrate and push my opponent deep. Even though I wouldn't switch to this frame, I can drill with it, enjoy it on hits or even throw it in the mix when I wanted to practice working the point a bit more."

In terms of head size, the chasm between Mark's racquet of choice and the Phantom Pro 93P is vast, so he came prepared. He explained, "For my first hit with the Phantom 93P, I brought down my Wilson Blade 104 SW Autograph in case I had trouble adapting. I was a bit surprised and very excited to realize I could play effectively from the baseline with this racquet. Tight patterns often challenge me on the forehand side, but spin was easy to achieve from either wing. My backhand slice stayed low, directional control was top notch, and hitting near the lines was both comfortable and consistent."

Volleys - Score: 86

As they moved to the net with the Phantom Pro 93P, our playtesters took advantage of the racquet's stability and feel. Never one to shy away from the net, Chris shared his experiences on volleys, saying, "The Phantom Pro 93P was a fun racquet to use at net. The head-light balance gave it a quick and maneuverable feel. The response from the frame was loaded with feel to help drop volleys on a dime. Comfort was top notch, and I liked the stable response during heavy hitting. The amount of control really stood out. Despite that, I found I could use the racquet's mass to drive volleys deep and punch them away for winners."

Michelle also enjoyed variety in her net game with the Phantom Pro 93P. She said, "I think this racquet is what some would call 'smooth as butter.' The lower RA really let me have fun and be creative up there with some nice touch shots, but I could still get aggressive and knife volleys back. I had to adjust to the flexible feel, but I felt dialed in at the net once I was used to it."

The differences between Mark's usual racquet and the Phantom Pro 93P revealed themselves at net. He explained, "This was one area of the playtest where it took a little time for me to get used to the Phantom 93P's weight. Once I adjusted to the extra weight I had the same level of confidence anywhere inside the baseline that I had from the backcourt. Punch volleys were effective, and even off-center half volleys were comfortable."

Troy dropped some big names when describing the Phantom Pro 93P's capable volleying. He said, "The way the 93 square-inch head and thin-beam frame cut through the air made it feel like an extension of my arm. There was pinpoint precision and a connection to the ball that I have only experienced with a few racquets over the years. It's up there with the likes of the Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 85, Volkl Power Bridge 10 Mid, Wilson Pro Staff 90 and Pacific X Feel Pro 90 Vacuum. There was enough stability on contact to defend heavy paced shots being drilled at me. Whether I needed to drive my volleys or take the pace off the ball for a drop shot, this racquet's response had me feeling very connected. Although the weight and swingweight of the Phantom Pro 93P are similar to many other racquets I've used over the years, I found it especially easy to maneuver. However, during some quick exchanges at net I was missing some of the forgiveness I get from racquets like my Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330) or the Prince Phantom Pro 100P. The Phantom Pro 93P has a bigger sweetspot than most midsize racquets, but it's still a bit demanding compared to the midplus racquets I've been testing recently. As my court time increased with this racquet, I found it easier and easier to hit the sweetspot on a consistent basis."

Serves - Score: 85

While the Phantom Pro 93P's precision impressed our playtesters in every category, they found it particularly scalpel-like on their serves. Mark noted, "I am still working out the kinks to really nail the ball with authority with this racquet, but I was getting plenty of action on the ball, along with a high level of precision."

Echoing Mark's comments, Troy said, "Once again, the precision of this Phantom Pro 93P is what really stood out. The point-and-shoot response helped me move the ball around the service box with great accuracy. With the maneuverable and head-light feel, I was able to generate a lot of spin on my serves. I was somewhat worried that the head size and dense string pattern would limit my ability to get serves jumping high off the court, but that wasn't the case. I was giving my opponents even more trouble than usual with my topspin and kick serves. The maneuverable feel and the low-powered response allowed me to go after my second serves with maximum racquet head speed, and I wasn't afraid of overhitting. On flat first serves, when I was really trying to ramp up the MPHs, I wasn't quite reaching the numbers I hit with a racquet like the Babolat Pure Drive Tour Plus. Although I wasn't maximizing my power on serves with this racquet, I was surprised that the drop in my overall speed was not significant. My overall command of the ball while serving with the Phantom Pro 93P was second to none."

Serving with the Phantom Pro 93P was a pleasant surprise for Michelle. She said, "I felt very confident with this racquet in my hand when serving. I thought I would hate it, but it came around nicely and I had no issues. The precision was amazing, and I really enjoyed picking targets and getting after them. Second serves still had relatively good bite and movement despite the tighter string pattern. I loved using this racquet to jam my opponents with body serves."

Like the others, Chris was serving well with the Phantom Pro 93P. He said, "I could use the mass of the Phantom Pro 93P to generate solid pace. The Phantom Pro 93P must be one of the most spin-friendly 18x20 string patterned racquets I've ever served with. I was able to get some nice slice on my serves without having to hold back in the pace department. When I wanted to take more of a risk and hit a faster, flatter serve, I found I had a nice level of control to help me keep my shot on target."

Returns - Score: 81

With such a small head and tight string pattern, the Phantom Pro 93P's serve returns felt sublime, but at the same time somewhat demanding. Michelle loves to set up points with big returns, and she found that this racquet backed up her offensive style. She said, "This was my favorite shot to hit with the Phantom Pro 93P. I LOVED returning with this racquet. For the most part, what I mentioned in the groundstroke section played through perfectly for my return game. I felt so dialed in and was consistently rewarded for my big swings. This racquet just felt magical. I found that I was making fewer errors while still remaining offensive and aggressive 80 percent of the time. I could even take big swings at bigger first serves. One small downside was that my reaching stabs at wide ball weren't super effective. However, because I felt so confident I was able to play aggressively, and I was constantly looking to attack serves instead of letting the server dictate to me."

Finding success with a variety of returns, Chris compared the Phantom Pro 93P to another 12-ounce racquet, saying, "Much like the Yonex VCORE Pro 97 330 we tested recently, this Phantom Pro 93P offered a rock-solid feel on returns. While the Yonex felt firmer and crisper, the Prince felt softer and plusher at impact. My drive returns had solid pace with the Phantom Pro 93P. I could add spin to my returns if needed, and my chip and block returns always felt solid. I enjoyed driving my slice backhand return off a high-kicking serve, as the tight string pattern gave me excellent control. The flexible beam enhanced the level of control and allowed me to go after returns aggressively."

Troy found that the Phantom Pro 93P performed well when he was being aggressive with his returns, but he found it lacking when he was on the defensive. He said, "Taking an aggressive cut at the ball on my returns was very tempting with this racquet in hand. The low-powered response had me feeling as if I could slap flat forehand returns without fear of hitting too deep. The slice backhand returns felt silky smooth on contact, and I found it easy to drive them deep in the court. On the other hand, when I wasn't able to strike the ball cleanly, my returns landed short. Against opponents who were hitting big kick serves, I really had to focus on my timing because the midsize head was a bit unforgiving at times. I found it much easier to step in and take the ball on the rise with the Prince Phantom Pro 100P and the Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330). When I was able to be offensive on my returns, I really enjoyed swinging freely with this racquet. When I was stretched out in a defensive position it was difficult for me to produce an effective shot with the Phantom Pro 93P. Overall, I prefer just a bit more power from my racquet to help with the defensive returns."

Although Mark feels his return isn't his strongest shot, it turns out he had nothing to fear from the Phantom Pro 93P. He said, "I was surprised to find that I was able to swing over the top of the ball more often and more effectively with the Phantom Pro 93P than I could with other racquets that I've tested. I can point toward the wind-cheating beam width and headsize to explain why I was able to modify my return so easily."

Overall - Score: 85