Updated with a new material technology for 2024, this racquet combines pinpoint accuracy with outstanding feel
Introducing the third generation of the Phantom 100X 18x20! Like previous versions, this racquet's 18x20 string patterns and 59-RA stiffness capture the pinpoint accuracy and buttery feel of the game's best traditional player's racquets. With its 327 RDC swingweight, the Phantom 100X 18x20 offers a nice balance between speed and stability, giving it a stable feel against higher levels of pace without feeling sluggish in the front court. Technologies include Prince's Anti-Torque System, which is located at 10 & 2 in the head and combines Textreme with Zylon, a synthetic polymer added in 2024 to further enhance stability without compromising maneuverability. Prince also combines Zylon and Textreme in the shaft to further enhance stability and optimize feel. Other features include a CTS beam construction, which features an ultra thin shaft for feel along with thicker cross sections in the head for stability and power. Ultimately, with subtle tweaks to the feel, the Phantom 100X 18x20 continues to be a great option for experienced players looking for the undeniable precision and sublime feel of a classic player's racquet.
Specifications
| Head Size: 100 in² / 645.16 cm² | ||||
| Length: 27in / 68.58cm | ||||
| Strung Weight: 11.8oz / 335g | ||||
| Balance: 12.5in / 31.75cm / 8 pts HL | ||||
| Swingweight: 327 | ||||
| Stiffness: 59 | ||||
| Beam Width: 22mm / 20.5mm / 18mm | ||||
| Composition: Textreme/Zylon/Graphite | ||||
| Power Level: Low | ||||
| Stroke Style: Full | ||||
| Swing Speed: Fast | ||||
| Racquet Colors: Green | ||||
| Grip Type: Prince ResiTex Tour | ||||
String Pattern:
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| String Tension: 45-55 pounds |
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Customer Reviews
Beautiful racquetBeautiful racquet, I use it currently but the balance is very much towards the grip. Correcting that with lead looks spectacular.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Prince PhantomThe new version is much better than the last, has more stability with slightly thicker around the head of the racquet yet has more feel than the previous version. If you want a racquet where you get a sense where the ball is on the string bed this is the racquet yet provides you stability and power. Easier on the elbow and the 100 square inch 18x20 gives more spacing in strings to produce surprisingly good amount of topspin. The best racquet for those that are looking for control especially those big hitters that need more feel and control for balls to land inside the court.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
My New Racquet of Choice!It took a while to find a modern racquet that I felt comfortable with. I probably demoed 10 racquets with similar specs before finding this one. To provide a little context, I’m a 4.5 player that has been playing with an old Head Prestige 98 (18x20). That racquet is pretty stiff but always felt true in terms of placement and spin. However, I wanted to try and find something with a little more pop. So, I stated play testing 100 square inch frames with similar specs. When I got my hands on this Phantom I knew immediately it had more power than my old Head, the only question was, “Could I control it?” Answer, “yes!” With my swing style this racquet produces enough natural topspin that even most of my miss hits are dropping in. Additionally, I’m getting at least 15 mph more on my serve without doing anything different. My percentage has gone up slightly on first serve as well. This racquet definitely feels much more flexible than the old Prestige, so it surprised my tennis buddy that I was able to make the adjustment to a racquet with such a different feel. But I love this racquet. I look forward to playing with it for years to come.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Forgiving Players Frame with Big SpinPrince Phantom 100 18x20 320g
String and tension used for test:
Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25 at 50 pounds
Solinco Hyper G Soft 1.20 at 48 pounds
Prince Tour XP 17 at 45 pounds
Tennis experience/background:
I have always been into racquets. I used to be a product tester for the ski industry and I have always been interested in new gear. I grew up playing tennis for fun, went to a bunch of camps, nothing too serious. Took soccer, baseball and snowsports more seriously. As an “adult”, became daily tennis bum/raging racaholic from 2008-2017. Job promotion/baby/pandemic took me out of the game for a few years, started playing 3-4x a week again in 2022. I like to play in the 4.25 (contains 4.0-4.5 players) section of my local middle aged dad league. I am 46 years old, 5 foot 11, 195 pounds.
Describe your playing style:
Quintessential middle aged Federer worshipper with a shaky backhand but a beautiful head of hair. I have very consistent topspin shots and I generally grind out matches and rely on my overall sportiness rather than my tennis IQ, although recently I am experimenting with a more aggressive approach. I have a steady slice, and a reliable forehand. I have a good serve for my level and I can jam people with pace or slide one out wide. The limiting factors on my game are fitness, modern fatherhood and fitness. I have seen rec matches pivot tragically based on potty training schedules.
Current racquet/string setups:
HEAD Graphene Prestige MP 18x20 320g 95 SI (2015) Tier One Black Knight at 44 pounds
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I mained this racquet for three weeks straight playing almost every day, drills and practice sets (20+ hours)
-Groundstrokes:
This racquet has a huge spin window with a knife thin beam and a 100 inch head, comparable to an Agassi Radical or a POG. You can attack the ball with very steep grips, especially on sliced shots. If you need to yank up on a ball and roll it high for more time it is easy to do, much easier than with my HEAD GPMP. The tight pattern and high static weight also allows you to plow through high balls, block and counterpunch pace. The soft flex keeps the ball in. I feel like my consistency went through the roof with this frame, the soft flex seemed to keep my balls in the court and the huge sweetspot helped me short hop and defend my chickenwing OHBH. I’ll give it a 9/10. Sliced shots are dirty and easier to pull off on the run. My CC forehand has more stick and depth with this racquet, I have no idea why.
-Serves:
With older generations of this frame and similar frames like the Radical OS I have had trouble really gassing up my serve. This frame did not have that problem and I could pop a flat serve in there as hard as I can with any racquet. The aerodynamics of this stick and the super headlight balance made it easy to pronate. My out wide slice to the deuce court was very reliable. My kick way out and short box to the AD side was also working nicely. I almost never had to hit flat serves with this racquet because my spin serves were getting the job done so efficiently. But that made the flatty a great change up, straight to the body. Another 9/10.
-Volleys:
10/10 the best I’ve ever volleyed. Touch volleys for days. I won so many games of 21 with crazy stop volleys. So maneuverable, yet solid, with a pillow touch. I actually was thinking about getting a Pat Rafter tattoo after volleying with this thing. I decided to just name the racquet “Pat”. SICK!
-Serve returns:
Heavy enough to chip, light and maneuverable enough to stand back and rip. I like to chip my returns, but I also had good success hanging back and taking my cuts. I can come over the ball on my BH return as well (can be difficult with some smaller headed racquets.) I like the versatility of having a huge forgiving landing pad for the chip return or being able to back up and try to smoke one. I got a lot of breaks. 9/10.
Power/Control-
This racquet gives great access to depth and control is very very high, maybe only eclipsed by frames in the 98 inch 18x20 layout. For me this frame is better than the Speed Pro and the Gravity Pro (two main competitors). If I had to knock this racquet it is that the soft feel can make you feel like your shots are slightly NERFed. I did notice more balls coming back compared to say a Pure Strike 98. But then again my control and consistency is so much better with this frame that I win way more points. Also, throughout the playtest I dropped tension to 45 pounds in a poly full bed and I feel I could go lower. My next stringjob will be triax mains and poly crosses just to see if I can juice the flat ball a teeny bit more.
Top Spin/Slice-
This frame has easy access to topspin when you need to loop a shot to get you back in the point (not all 18x20 is this forgiving). Topspin is an 8/10, it’s not an extreme MP where you are just making violent topspin, but you can kick the ball up and out of your opponents strike zone with ease. Slice is 10/10, especially on the scramble drill, I feel like I can always get on the edge of the ball and create a funky shot. The weight also helps pull down high balls with the slice BH or change the pace/direction of a shot mid rally. Again, the spin window is huge on this frame, you can CARVE your shots.
Comfort-
Insanely comfortable. It has the pillow feel of an MG Radical. I played many many days in a row with this frame with full poly and I’m 46 and sloppy. I am also prone to shanking near the tip on some shots. I feel no discomfort even after long hitting sessions.
Feel-
This frame has a very soft, cushioned ride. The 59 RA is reminiscent of old school Radical OS. When A/Bing this racquet against the Babolat Pure Strike 98, I just couldn’t wait to pick it back up again. Where the feel really stood out for me was at the net. I made some volleys that I could not believe. It felt like a broken-in baseball glove.
Maneuverability-
This is a standout feature of this frame. At 12pts HL and 320g it is a heavy racquet that swings light. This goes against the trend of light racquets that swing heavy. For my game, this way is much better. The thin beam feels so good in the hand and the low balance point just makes it so easy to accelerate through the OHBH. I’ll probably never play below 320g again.
Stability-
The soft feel and wide racquet face make the frame feel super stable. They tweaked this formula because the old ones (exo3) had some flutter. This one just felt rock solid to me. One shot that I really enjoyed with this frame was half volleys and short hops. This frame was so stable I felt like I could take the ball super early. Scoops and flicks off the bounce created some amazing shots.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I didn’t customize this frame at all. It felt ready to grip and rip and played absolutely perfect for my game. It simultaneously felt like a racquet that I grew up playing with but also totally modern and ready to drag my opponent into a moonball war of attrition. I feel like I can hit any shot with this racquet and it also encourages creative play with big angles, slices, and showboat volleys. I can be a wall or go for big flat shots. So versatile. It is just as fun to play with as a classic frame, but I also feel like it has the forgiveness to be a great frame for match play. If I had to play a match tomorrow, I’d be reaching for this one. It made me realize that it is time to let go of my 95 18x20 Prestige MP. I did the research and compared my results side by side, it’s not even close. I am a much better player with this Phantom. It’s a very confidence inspiring frame and will be my QB1 going forward.
I don’t hate the camo paint, I actually wish it was a little more obnoxious just so it would stand out a bit more. But I really don’t care because the racquet plays so well. Definitely getting a few more, the TW pricing is outrageous. I am so happy to see Prince is making quality sticks again, I absolutely loved them growing up. More Prince!
Thank you TW it is an honor to be a part of this community!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Not a PhantomI purchased this racquet, coming from the Phantom 93P thinking it would be somewhat similar...obviously the frame is bigger and string pattern is different....but this racquet had no similarity to the Phantom I've been playing with. I don't understand how they even got away with naming this a Phantom. I recently sent the racquets back and went back to a real Phantom Racquet, the 97P....and the Phantom 97P (even with with a bigger frame and different string pattern than the 93P... it still feels like a Phantom).
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
