Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

Although our playtesters did have some differing opinions when it came to the ProKennex Black Ace 105 on groundstrokes, they all found easy power and a comfortable, stable response. Before heading down to the court, Brittany couldn't help but take a sneak peek at the specs. She said, "They were so intriguing that I couldn't wait to start hitting with the Black Ace 105. From the baseline, the racquet offers plenty of power and a very forgiving feel. It was easy to get my groundstrokes deep in the court. There was also enough mass and plow through that I had some good weight behind my shots, both when I was being aggressive and when I was on the defensive, hitting my slice backhand. The racquet had a comfortable, consistent response, which to me was both a positive and a negative since I like to feel where I hit the ball on the stringbed to adjust the next time. One thing that I always mention whenever I playtest a ProKennex racquet is that you really can feel the Kinetic technology, not only when you are just holding it in your hands and shaking it but also when you are swinging. There were times when I would feel that all the mass was in the head, and I was unintentionally launching the ball. One of my favorite shots to hit is the short, angled groundstroke, and I never really got dialed in on this shot because I felt I couldn't generate enough spin to really dip the ball."

While Jason appreciated the free power the Black Ace 105 provided, he found himself launching the ball past the lines more than usual. He explained, "I immediately noticed the benefits of having the added length. I was hitting with more depth and power without changing a thing. The side effect of the extended length was that it was a little more sluggish than I like, and because of that, I felt like I was launching the ball long more often. I did like it on my backhand slice, though, because there was enough mass in the hoop to get a more knifing slice."

On the other hand, Mark got more than he bargained for playing with ProKennex's new Black Ace 105. He said, "I figured that I would enjoy the Black Ace 105 from the baseline, and I ended up feeling more confident with it than expected. Topspin was very easy to access with its 105-square-inch head size, 300-gram frame weight, open string pattern and slight extra length. That not only made it easy for me to shape my shots with spin and aim toward small targets, but the Black Ace 105 also has some point-ending power. I am mostly a counterpuncher, and I have to say the Black Ace 105 is a racquet I could comfortably play with from the backcourt all day long."

Volleys - Score: 82

Transitioning up to net with the Black Ace 105, our playtesters enjoyed the forgiving nature of the oversized head combined with the stability of the extra length. Most other 300-gram frames Mark plays with are matched with a 100-square-inch head size. Comparing them to the Black Ace 105, he said, "At net, I definitely noticed the extra stability the slightly larger head size afforded me. No doubt, the extra quarter inch of length helps with stability too, but either way, whether it was an angled touch volley or a more aggressive volley, this was a great racquet for me anywhere inside the service line."

"I used this racquet a lot in doubles, so I had plenty of experience hitting all sorts of volleys," added Brittany. "For the most part, I was really successful at net. I thought there was a good balance between maneuverability and stability. I never felt held back getting the racquet into position, and at the same time never felt like it was being pushed around in my hands. I made a lot of volleys back into the court (more than I normally make), and again, the response was extremely comfortable and consistent. My one small knock was that I felt like I was never putting the volley away, just getting a lot more back. It could be that I was a little more tentative for fear of overhitting."

Jason found plenty of positives when ending the point at net. He said, "What the Black Ace 105 lacked in maneuverability, it made up for in stability. I also appreciated the larger-than-normal sweetspot for those off-center hits."

Serves - Score: 84

The ProKennex Black Ace 105 was a powerful weapon in the hands of our playtesters on serves. Mark was starting points off with a little more confidence than usual, and he was a big fan of the Black Ace 105 on serves. He said, "Overall, the Black Ace 105 is a very versatile racquet, but I maybe liked it most on serve. Serve consistency and accuracy were spot on, with enough quality to keep my opponent from attacking the return most of the time. I even snuck a few aces past my friends, surprising me even more than it did them."

Jason liked the fact that he was able to serve a bigger ball with this racquet. He said, "I wasn't necessarily hitting with more spin, so my serve wasn't heavier, but it was nice to up my MPHs on both first and second serves. When I did miss, I noticed that I was missing long more often than not as I needed a little more spin to bring my serves down inside the service box."

It was a tale of two serves with this racquet for Brittany. She explained, "I really enjoyed the Black Ace 105 on first serves. I won a lot of free points thanks to the easy power and depth I was getting. I could even take some good slice serves out wide on the deuce side and mix it up. I struggled hitting my second serve. I can get a little tight when hitting my second serve, and this racquet wasn't forgiving enough for my needs. If I was a little tentative and slowed down my swing I would dump the serve in the net. I definitely accumulated a couple more double faults than I would have liked."

Returns - Score: 82

The Black Ace 105 offered our playtesters the ability to hit a variety of returns with ease, allowing them to stay neutral or easily transition to an offensive position. Jason found more success returning first serves than second serves. He said, "I thought the Black Ace 105 was really solid on returns. Even when I was blocking a return back there was enough power to get it deep enough to give myself a chance on the next shot. Attacking a slower serve had mixed results for me because I was hitting more erratically than I normally do."

"The return of serve was my favorite shot to hit with the Black Ace 105, and I preferred to return over serve," added Brittany. "This is where I thought I got the best of all worlds from the Black Ace 105. The racquet was stable and had good plow through, so it wasn't being pushed around. Yet it was also forgiving and maneuverable enough that I never felt hindered getting it around my body. I could be aggressive on both first and second serve returns. While I wasn't pinpoint accurate, I could pick a big target and then just grip it and rip it."

For the most part, Mark found himself returning a neutral ball. He wrapped up the playtest, saying, "Most of my return attempts involve chipping or slicing my return back into play, which is reasonably effective, but I am always hopeful that I will someday locate a racquet that will change all that for me. The Black Ace 105 was not that racquet, but it did complement my defensive return nicely."

Overall - Score: 83