ProKennex Black Ace 300 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 81

The ProKennex Black Ace 300's specs fall perfectly into place for the TW playtesting team, which made it an easy transition from the very first groundstroke. Having used a ProKennex racquet in the past, Tiffani is always excited to see what the company is cooking up next. She started, "I'm a big fan of ProKennex's comfort, and I particularly liked the Ki Q+ 5 310 from a few years ago. This Black Ace 300 is a bit lighter and a lot more flexible, but both have a version of Kinetic technology. I like how the Kinetic technology seems to add some power in addition to helping keep the racquet comfortable. I welcomed that sense of added power in this Black Ace 300. This racquet isn't that heavy, and it's super flexy, so it otherwise might be much too low powered. The Black Ace 300 wasn't super powerful off the ground, but it offered moderate power — more than I would expect from the specs. I thought it did a better job of absorbing pace than allowing me to create my own. I enjoyed how quickly it swung, which made creating spin pretty easy. My favorite shot from the baseline was my slice backhand. The dwell time was excellent, and it helped me keep the ball low and skidding, which isn't something I can always achieve in this spec level. I think this racquet would be a great fit for a crafty player who likes to mix it up with touch and drop shots."

"This was an easy racquet to transition into," continued Jason. "Not only did it feature similar specs to my own racquet, but the specs themselves also make it so user friendly. The Black Ace 300 swung easily and quickly through the air, and I really liked the spin I was able to generate on my forehand. The flexible response made it feel like the ball sat in the stringbed forever and then was spat out with great spin and control. The biggest downside was the lack of free power. I felt like I needed to swing harder more often to put shots away."

Although Brittany doesn't have a ton of experience with ProKennex racquets, she has playtested several frames from the brand in her preferred spec range over the last few years. She said, "This Black Ace 300 falls perfectly into my range, and it felt very comfortable in my hands when I hit the courts. ProKennex is known for its Kinetic technology, and I felt it the moment I picked up the racquet. I didn't need an adjustment period, and over time I got used to the sound and feel of the micro bearings inside the frame. After getting multiple practice sessions in, there were no standout features from the baseline. While I could maneuver the racquet well, I thought the power, control and spin levels were around average. Nonetheless, I got what I needed out of the racquet and was able to play my aggressive baseline style."

Volleys - Score: 77

Our playtesters had some mixed results on volleys, but they ultimately all enjoyed the comfort the Black Ace 300 offered. At net, the standout characteristics for Jason were mobility and control. He said, "I liked how quickly I could get the racquet into position, even on those tough body shots. I felt like I was well connected to my shots, and that allowed me to hit drop volleys successfully."

On the other hand, Brittany was having a little difficulty ending the point. She said, “Volleys were my least favorite shot to hit with this racquet. I played some doubles and did some drilling, so I got lots of volley reps in. I just wasn't able to punch the volley away for a winner or to end the point. In doubles, I found myself trying to get the volley back but not doing anything with it. The feel of the racquet both helped and hurt its performance at net. It was very comfortable on off-center hits and when I was reaching for the ball, but I struggled to feel where the ball was landing on the stringbed. This led to me feeling disconnected at times."

Tiffani agreed, adding, "At net is where I struggled with the flex level of this racquet. Although it offered plenty of comfort, the Black Ace 300 lacked the punch that I was looking for at impact. My volleys were landing shorter than I anticipated, and I tried to compensate by swinging. This mostly didn't work out, and that bad technique led to many missed volleys. I really had to concentrate on keeping my swing compact and being patient. It felt like I had to wait for the racquet to flex and come back, making sure not to move too much. I think players who like to use more touch and drop the ball short would like the Black Ace 300 more than me. I prefer to punch my volleys deep."

Serves - Score: 82

When serving with the ProKennex Black Ace 300, the TW playtesters enjoyed the maneuverability and spin potential, though they each noted a lack of free power. Brittany's serves were precise and consistent with the Black Ace 300 in her hand. She said, "While there wasn't easy power, I still felt like I could be effective on my first serves. I mostly focused on targeting and precision. I utilized my slice out wide to open up the court. While I wasn't getting any extra free points, I still felt like I could start things off offensively, especially in doubles where my partner at net got the opportunity to poach. I enjoyed the predictable response on my second serve, and I was getting enough spin to stay in a neutral position."

While it was easy for Tiffani to generate racquet speed, it didn't always translate to pace. She described, "I appreciated how easy the Black Ace 300 was to swing overhead. I could serve through long games without any issues. This racquet wasn't delivering tons of power, but I thought it was enough for me, and it was easy enough to hit slice serves."

Jason was also looking for a little more oomph when hitting serves, and he thought the racquet could benefit from a little customization. He said, "I would've liked a bit more weight behind my serve, but other than that, I really have no complaints. The Black Ace 300 was easy to swing and accelerate through contact, and the open string pattern was great for access to spin. I'd just add a bit of weight in the hoop and handle and call it a day."

Returns - Score: 82

Our team vastly preferred returning serves with the Black Ace 300, where it offered a comfortable, controlled response against the fastest and heaviest of serves. As with most racquets, Tiffani liked to return with the Black Ace 300 more than she liked to serve with it. She said, "Comfort on returns was a highlight. There was no jarring sensation when I missed outside the sweetspot on a hard-hit first serve. This racquet feels really soft. I preferred returning to start off points, which is typical for me. I touched on this in the groundstrokes section, but this racquet did a good job of handling incoming pace. I felt controlled on my returns and confident enough to choose ambitious targets to get my opponent moving right from the start."

Jason had similar results when returning serves as he did when hitting his other strokes. He said, "The Black Ace 300 had great feel, control and spin, but I wanted a bit more pop. When I blocked a serve back the ball tended to land shorter than I'm used to, putting me back on my heels right away. It was great when I had time to take a big cut at the ball. The amount of racquet head speed I was able to generate, combined with the open string pattern, made for a heavier, more penetrating shot."

Brittany ended the playtest on a high note. She said, "Returning was probably my favorite stroke to hit with this racquet. I could really swing out, and I was never afraid of overhitting. I could hit my return targets with ease, which was important in match play. I could redirect the pace on first serves and found plenty of stability and comfort."

Overall - Score: 80