Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.3

When it came to hitting from the baseline, our playtesters were seriously impressed by the level of pace they were generating off both wings. Easy power was more than evident, and our team was happy to find enough spin to shape shots as well. For Mark, this Phantom 107G proved to be quite the force to reckon with. He explained, "Besides being easy to rally with from the baseline, this racquet provided me with better-than-expected directional control. Generating and absorbing ball pace off either side was easy, and although I was not aiming shots to the lines, I had zero issues hitting long or wide. As expected, the 16x19 pattern was a source of both precision and power. I could easily curve shots with spin to a target but was also gifted easy shot depth due to the high launch angle."

Chris found this updated Phantom 107G to stand out exceptionally well among the rest of the line. He said, "I was fortunate enough to hit all of the new Phantom racquets, and the Phantom 107G was by far the most fun to hit off the ground. The racquet was super fast and easy to whip around. Add the maneuverable feel to the massive spin window offered by the skinny beam and 107-square-inch head size, and you have a racquet that just begs for creative shot making. The only issue I had on groundstrokes was that I was constantly tempted to go for crazy spins and angles, so I wasn't always playing the most consistent or smartest tennis. On the plus side, I've never hit as many trick shots as I did during this test of the Phantom 107G! The feel of the racquet was very comfortable, yet I still felt connected to my shots. I thought the sweetspot felt very generous. The ball exited the stringbed with some nice loop on it on topspin swings, and the open pattern helped grab the ball for ample spin."

For Brittany, the 107G was just plain fun. She said, "As with the previous generation, I knew the Phantom 107G 2024 was going to be a fun playtest with its unique specs and playability. The racquet offers a little more easy power and had a higher launch angle, allowing me to hit my groundstrokes deep in the court. I was also surprised that the racquet was spin-friendly, and I was able to throw in some topspin angles from time to time. I got to play a mix of doubles and singles with this racquet and definitely found myself leaning toward playing doubles because that is where I thought the racquet shined. Lastly, another bonus was my backhand slice. Although not my strongest shot, I was able to hit my backhand slice effectively to keep my defensive shot neutral."

For Jason, the Phantom 107G afforded easy and enjoyable playability, right in line with his preferred specs. He described, "This was a very easy racquet to transition into. It has the weight (11.4 ounces), the swingweight (320), and the open string pattern (16x19) that I already love, but I also get a larger, more forgiving head size? Yes, please! I found really easy access to spin on my shots, which was good because I found I needed topspin, otherwise I was launching shots long. Getting depth on my shots was not a problem, even when on the run."

Volleys: 8.2

Up at the net, our team of testers continued to have a blast with the Prince Phantom 107G 2024. The easy power combined with the forgiving nature of the frame encouraged everyone to go for aggressive put-aways and sharper angles. Brittany was delighted by the frame's performance at net. She explained, "As I mentioned above, the Phantom 107G was just a fun doubles racquet. The sweetspot was more forgiving (thanks to the 107-square-inch head size), so I felt I could hit my volleys with power no matter where the ball landed on the stringbed. The flexible feel allowed me to be creative with my shots, and I had a bunch of great pick-up volleys and half volleys. I won more points up at net than normal."

For our resident net rusher, Chris, the sheer novelty of the frame shone through once again. He said, "The fun continued with the Phantom 107G when I attacked the net. I loved going for crazy angle volleys with as much underspin or side spin as I could muster. When being more sensible, I found it easy to punch volleys deep or place them to the open court. The racquet felt fast and easy to maneuver."

Jason had some slight issues with the Phantom 107G's stability in the forecourt, but he still found success overall. He said, "This racquet has a generous sweetspot, which was very helpful with off-center volleys. It has good feel, so I could get a better sense of depth when hitting a drop volley, and I could put plenty of underspin on my shots too. The crossbar helped with stability, but I thought this racquet was still getting pushed around a bit against bigger hitters and on off-center hits." 

For Mark, the size of the racquet made itself known on volleys, but in a good way. He said, "This was one part of the playtest where I noticed how much inherent power a 107 head size delivers. After adjusting how tightly I was grasping the handle and increasing the string tension a little, my volley radar felt dialed in with Prince's update to the Phantom 107G." 

Serves: 8.2

Serving with the Phantom 107G 2024 was a treat for our playtest team, and they found more than enough pop and drop to hit any kind of serve they desired. The spin factor in particular was impressive, and shaping felt easily attainable and greater than expected. Jason found success by opting to go for a spin-based service motion. He explained, "I could get a lot of spin on my serves to make them effective, but I wasn't hitting as big as I would've liked when going for a flat, fast serve. However, I thought it was pretty effortless to flick my wrist and generate spin." 

For Mark, the easygoing nature of the racquet didn't let up on serve. He noted, "It was a delight serving with the Phantom 107G. The thin beam, slightly oversized head and open pattern, combined with its 11.4-ounce overall weight, amounted to easy pace on serve, with a bit more shape on my ball than usual." 

The Phantom 107G did everything Chris wanted it to on serves. He described, "I was happy with how I served with the Phantom 107G. I found excellent spin on my serves, and this was the shot where I was most consistent. The Phantom 107G is a very easy racquet to serve with, and I could play with it for long matches or practices without getting tired. While I didn't have a ton of plow-through power from this racquet, I felt like I served with enough pace and accuracy to draw errors or weak returns."

Likewise, Brittany enjoyed all the various options at her disposal. She noted, "I liked the Phantom 107G's access to power on serves compared to the other racquets in the Phantom line. I also felt I could be pretty precise with my serves and place them consistently. I was able to confidently mix up serves between the different spins — flat, slice and kick. While I don't think the racquet did anything special, I was able to start points with limited double faults, and I can't ask for much more than that."

Returns: 8.2

Return of serve was another area where the Phantom 107G 2024 surprised our testers. Our team enjoyed the spin access and the comfort they found when redirecting the serve. Mark was taken aback (in a good way) by the depth he could achieve on his returns. He said, "I don’t consistently hit my return with enough authority to say it would be my favorite shot of this or any playtest. That said, the larger head size of the 107G had the same effect on my return of serve as it did on my volley, and after making some slight adjustments, I found myself hitting some of the better service returns that I can recall." 

One of our most consistent testers, Brittany, found many ways to return serves effectively. She explained, "I was able to return offensively with the Phantom 107G because I felt pretty confident with it. It has a nice blend of stability and maneuverability, so I could step up to the baseline and take full swings (even on first serves) without feeling pushed around."

The Phantom 107G's speedy, spin-friendly nature worked wonders for Jason's returns. He noted, "The maneuverability helped me get the racquet quickly into position when hitting returns. Even when taking big cuts at first serves, the racquet came around quickly, and with the open string pattern, I was able to impart lots of spin to get the ball to drop inside the lines." 

For Chris, this racquet allowed him to really enjoy a shot he normally doesn't gravitate toward. He explained, "The return is rarely my favorite shot, but the Phantom 107G 2024 definitely ratcheted this shot up the scale for me. I found I could step inside the baseline and take returns very early with it because it was so fast to get around. The super easy access to spin meant I could work angles or go big for maximum pace, and I could get my shots to dip inside the lines. On chip and block returns, the racquet offered easy access to depth to help neutralize a tough serve."

Breakdown Summary